Putin Warns New Strategic Nuclear Weapon Will Soon Be Unveiled: Testing Proceeds Smoothly

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that significant progress has been made in trails or a new class of strategic nuclear weapon. “I think we will have the opportunity in the near future to break some news about a new weapon that we announced a long time ago,” he stated, adding that it “is undergoing tests [which] are proceeding successfully.” He further noted that a “certain arms race is underway” in the world, and warned that a number of countries are nuclear tests to ensure the capabilities of their arsenals. He made clear that Russia would resume nuclear testing should other countries do so. The president further stressed that Russia was secure due to the “novelty” of its nuclear deterrent and its constant improvement, claiming that the level of sophistication of the nuclear arsenal was unsurpassed anywhere in the world.

Despite a decline in the standing of many parts of Russia’s conventional forces, concentrated effort in its nuclear capabilities have ensured that the country’s arsenal is in many respects the most capable in the world. The Russian intercontinental raged ballistic missile arsenal, in particular, is comprised almost entirely of modern post-Soviet systems, many of which have particularly impressive capabilities such as the carriage of Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles to avoid interception. This contrasts starkly with the American arsenal, which is comprised entirely of Minuteman III missiles from the 1970s that are by far the oldest ICBMs in service anywhere in the world today. The standings of the Russian and American strategic submarine fleets is considered broadly on par, while the United States is considered to retain an advantage in its air launched nuclear capabilities due to its deployment of F-35 stealth fighters and B-2 stealth bombers as delivery platforms. Russia has compensated for its lack of stealth aircraft by deploying various cruise missiles with hypersonic or stealth capabilities such as the Kh-102 and Zircon.

The nature of the new Russian strategic nuclear weapon remains uncertain, with some sources speculating that it could be the Oreshnik intermediate range ballistic missile. The Oreshik is Russia’s first post-Soviet type of intermediate range ballistic missile, and was first fired in combat on November 21 against Ukrainian targets, at which time the program’s existence was first announced to the world. With President Putin on June 23 having confirmed that serial production had begun, however, the missile is thought to have already progressed beyond its testing stages. Allusions to a new weapons system as one which was “announced a long time ago,” where the Oreshnik was announced only in November 2024, indicates that it is not the system in question. Another possibility is that the system referred to is the Poseidon nuclear armed torpedo or the 9M730 Burevestnik nuclear-powered nuclear-armed cruise missile, both of which are unique new assets.