According to Reuters, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hailed the successful testing of the Poseidon, a nuclear-capable underwater drone, calling it a “huge success” and a significant advancement in Russia’s strategic weapons program.
“For the first time, we not only launched it from a carrier submarine using a launch engine, but also activated the nuclear power unit, which ran for a certain period of time,” Putin stated. “There is nothing like this in the world.”
He further claimed that “The Poseidon’s power significantly exceeds that of even our most advanced Sarmat missile,” referring to Russia’s SATAN II model.
The Poseidon, which was initially revealed in 2018, is designed to travel across oceans at high speeds using nuclear propulsion and to carry a massive warhead. Russian officials assert that it can generate destructive radioactive waves capable of striking coastal targets, although its operational status remains unverified by independent sources.
Putin also mentioned progress on other strategic systems, including the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, which Moscow claims has an unlimited range and can evade missile defenses. Russian officials reported a successful test flight of the Burevestnik earlier in the week as part of a broader demonstration of nuclear readiness.
Russia stated that the successful Burevestnik test covered over 8,700 miles, a claim that has drawn scrutiny in the West.
On Monday, President responded to Russia’s recent weapons testing, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that Putin “should end the war in Ukraine, not test missiles.” He added that the U.S. has “a nuclear submarine right off their coast … so it doesn’t have to go 8,000 miles,” and warned that “we’re not playing games with them either.”
Trump said that instead of focusing on missile development, Putin “ought to get the war ended … a war that should have taken one week is now in its fourth year.”
In recent days, Moscow has intensified its offensive in eastern , claiming the capture of several frontline villages and advancing towards Pokrovsk, a strategically important city in the Donetsk region. Earlier this month, Putin stated that Russian forces had captured nearly 5,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory since the beginning of the year — a claim disputed by Ukraine.
U.S. and NATO officials have not independently confirmed the Poseidon test, and the Pentagon has declined to comment.
Reuters and