Russia's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile ‘Sarmat’ Explodes After Takeoff

A recent test launch of Russia's RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) appears to have failed.

Reports suggest the missile exploded while still in the silo at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region, causing significant damage to the test site.

Satellite imagery published online reveals a large crater at the test location, believed to have been caused by the explosion. The FIRMS fire monitoring system also recorded a substantial fire in the Plesetsk area. According to experts, it could take considerable time to repair the damage to the infrastructure at the cosmodrome.

High-resolution satellite images shared by the Institute for the Study of War over the weekend show the extent of the damage. The fire, detected by NOAA-20 and SUOMI NPP satellites, also affected nearby infrastructure and ignited a forest fire a few hundred meters from the launch site.

The explosion is believed to have occurred either shortly after ignition or possibly during fuel loading, as debris and flammable materials were spread across the area. This incident marks another setback for the Sarmat missile program, which has faced multiple test failures in recent years.

The RS-28 Sarmat, known by NATO as the SS-X-29, is designed to replace the aging SS-18 and is one of several nuclear weapons systems highlighted by President Vladimir Putin in a 2018 speech. The missile is described as having the capability to deliver warheads weighing up to 10 tons to any point on the globe, with its flight path designed to be difficult to intercept.

Despite the setbacks, Russian state-controlled media outlet RIA Novosti reported in 2022 that the Sarmat had entered operational service, with some missiles already deployed.

The Plesetsk Cosmodrome serves as Russia’s primary testing facility for ballistic nuclear missiles. During a successful launch, missiles typically fly across the Arctic and land at the Kura test site in Kamchatka. The last fully successful Sarmat test occurred in April 2022, when the missile hit all its intended targets.

Following the explosion, it was reported that a U.S. Boeing RC-135S Cobra Ball reconnaissance aircraft had taken off from Alaska to monitor the Sarmat test.