In May 2026, the world witnessed an important stage in the development of Russia's strategic forces. On May 12, 2026, Commander of the Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN) Sergey Karakaev reported to President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on the successful test launch of the heavy intercontinental ballistic missile of the new generation "Sarmat" [citation:2][citation:7]. The President called this event "a major event in the life of the country" and confirmed that the first missile regiment with these complexes would take up combat duty by the end of 2026 [citation:3][citation:8]. “Sarmat” is the most powerful missile complex in the world, capable of reliably overcoming any anti-ballistic missile defense systems. What is the "Sarmat" missile? The "Sarmat" missile complex (classified by NATO as SS-X-30 or "Satan-2") was created to replace the Soviet heavy missile R-36M2 "Voevoda", known in the West as "Satan" [citation:2]. It is a liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile with silo-based deployment, designed to strike targets on other continents. Its main feature is the ability to carry an enormous payload and deliver several independent warheads to different targets. "Sarmat" has become the first strategic missile complex in the world created using "hypersonic" equipment technologies. One of the key characteristics of the new weapon is its mass. The launch mass of the missile is 208.1 tons, and the payload reaches 10 tons [citation:7]. This allows it to carry up to 12 individually guided warheads, including the hypersonic gliding block "Avangard", which has already taken up experimental combat duty [citation:1][citation:8]. Each such block is capable of maneuvering in flight and flying at hypersonic speed, making interception virtually impossible. Key characteristics of the "Sarmat" Unbelievable range. The reported flight range of the "Sarmat" exceeds 35 thousand kilometers [citation:1][citation:8]. For ... Read more