Russian state TV has threatened to ‘wipe Britain off the map’ with President Vladimir Putin’s new ‘big beast’ hypersonic 208-ton 15,880mph ‘Satan-2’ intercontinental ballistic missile.
The first regiment to deploy the new ‘unstoppable’ missile will be in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia and they are to go into use this year.
“As it turned out, one Sarmat means minus one Great Britain,” said pro-Putin TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov, threatening the UK in a crude remark to viewers.
The threat was because the British had got “totally boorish,” the popular host – known as ‘Putin’s voice’ – said, seemingly referring to the UK’s ongoing support for Ukraine.
This came as Russia announced it is to build 46 ICBM strategic combat Sarmat systems.
Head of the Russian space agency Dmitry Rogozin, a close Putin ally, told Solovyov that “we will have 46 combat complexes of strategic weapon Sarmat [Satan-2].”
“Everything is according to plan with us,” he said.
“They will go into the same silos where Voevoda [missiles are now deployed]. It is all according to plan….”
A new test date for the Sarmat is due to be decided this week.
After a test last week, Putin said: “This is a big, significant event in the development of advanced weapons systems of the Russian army.
“The new complex has the highest performance characteristics, and can break through all modern anti-missile defences.
“There is nothing like this in the world, and won’t be for a long while.
“This truly unique weapon will be strengthening the combat potential of our armed forces.
“It will reliably secure Russia from external threats, and will force those trying to threaten our country in the heat of frenzied aggressive rhetoric.”
Putin claimed this week that it had uncovered a plot by “neo-Nazis” backed by the West to kill Solovyov.
“They have moved to terrorism preparing the murder of our journalists,” he said.
The TV anchor is known as “Putin’s voice”.
However there were claims that an FSB secret service operation to explore the alleged assassination plot was a fake.