Russia’s Sarmat missile has been in development since the 2000s.
Russia tested an intercontinental missile on Monday while US President Joe Biden was in Ukraine and that appears to have failed, according to a report in CNN. It quoted two officials who said that Russia had notified the US in advance through “deconfliction lines”. One of the officials added that the missile launch did not pose a risk to the US and it did not view the test as an anomaly or escalation. Mr Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv with an intention to reaffirm America’s “unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity”, according to White House.
The missile that was tested during Mr Biden’s visit was SARMAT – nicknamed the Satan II in the West. It was capable of delivering multiple nuclear warheads.
The missile has been successfully tested before and had this test worked, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin would have highlighted it in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, CNN further said in its report quoting the officials.
One of the officials, however, clarified that the test was carried out just before Mr Biden reached Ukraine.
The Kremlin declined to comment on the missile test on Wednesday.
After Mr Biden left Ukraine, Russian intelligence agency director Alexander Bortnikov said that they gave no security guarantees to the US President during his unannounced visit.
“Indeed, the United States notified Russia about Biden’s visit to Kiev – via diplomatic channels. But we gave no guarantees of his security,” Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Bortnikov said in an interview with the Shot Telegram channel on Tuesday.
Also Read | “US Notified About Biden’s Visit To Kyiv But…”: Russian Security Chief
Mr Biden visited Kyiv on Monday for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine almost a year ago. In Kyiv, he announced a half-billion dollars in new assistance, saying the package would include more military equipment, such as artillery ammunition, more javelins and Howitzers.
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