Russia’s nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile Sarmat appears to have failed a test launch around Feb. 20, according to the CNN’s sources among the U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
Russia has warned the U.S. of the test over the deconfliction lines, and the test did not constitute escalation, according to the officials.
It is unclear whether the test took place before or while the U.S. President Joe Biden was visiting Kyiv. The Sarmat ICBM, capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads and decoys, has been successfully tested previously, according to the article.
On Feb. 21, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced that Russia suspended its participation in the nuclear arms reduction New START treaty. The decision will prevent U.S. or NATO countries from inspecting the Russian nuclear arsenal.