Vladimir Putin Wants Deploy Stealthy Ballistic Missile Before End Of Year To Turn Ukraine War's Tide

During a televised meeting with Russia’s military academy graduates on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted the new intercontinental missiles in its arsenal and claimed that they will be deployed in combat by the end of the year.

Without directly referencing its current war against Ukraine, Putin showcased the newly-tested Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles which reportedly have the capability of bypassing radar and can carry 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys, according to al-Jazeera.

“It is planned that by the end of the year, the first such complex will be on combat duty,” Putin said to the graduates.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Russia has attempted to fortify and strengthen its air defense and missile defense systems. However, the new Sarmat intercontinental missiles are feared to have up the ante when it comes to a possible nuclear confrontation with the West.

“We will continue to develop and strengthen our armed forces, taking into account potential military threats and risks,” Putin said.

The United States itself appears unconcerned with regard to the new intercontinental missiles that were tested in April, with Moscow reportedly notifying Washington of the test ahead of time in compliance with the 2011 New START Treaty.

“Testing is routine and it was not a surprise,” John Kirby, the Pentagon spokesperson at the time, said. “Of course, the department remains focused on Russia’s unlawful and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine.”

Putin’s rhetoric against the United States and Europe has become more intense as the European Union and America show a united front in its opposition to the war in Ukraine, with Putin’s speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum centered around the alliance, the Hill reported.

“[T]he European Union has lost its political sovereignty. Its bureaucratic elite are dancing to a foreign pipe, accepting everything they are told from above, thus hurting their own population, and their own economy, their own business,” Putin said.

He then set his sights on the United States, saying that “[h]aving declared themselves the victors in the Cold War, the United States announced they are the messengers of the Lord on earth, having no responsibilities, but only interests — interests seen as holy.”