Russia is set to deploy its nuclear-capable Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the end of the year, a system President Putin has described as “the most powerful missile in the world”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia fired more than 1,560 drones since Wednesday, along with 56 missiles overnight.
With the onset of the war in Iran, Moscow now has a new opportunity to retaliate against the United States and Ukraine’s other NATO sponsors. Russian leaders are not hesitant about tormenting Washington. Indeed, they are already taking tangible steps to do so.
By Nina L. Khrushcheva, Project Syndicate | May 13, 2026
The Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is designed to replace Russia’s aging Soviet-era SS-18 system. Reports cited by CNN said the missile can carry multiple nuclear warheads and travel more than 10,000 kilometers.
Russia is expanding the world’s largest Shahed-style drone factory – the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ) – amid a surge in weapons exports to Iran for its military.
