Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday that Russia achieved a “huge success” in the test of its nuclear-powered underwater drone, the Poseidon. According to Mr. Putin, the system’s power “significantly exceeds” that of Russia’s Sarmat intercontinental missile (nicknamed “Satan II”).
“For the first time, we managed not only to launch it with a launch engine from a carrier submarine, but also to launch the nuclear power unit on which this device passed a certain amount of time. There is nothing like this.”
Putin described the test as a major step in Russia’s strategic weapons programme, emphasising that the Poseidon can travel across oceans, carry a massive warhead and is nuclear-powered.
While Russia claims the drone is operational, Western officials and the US Pentagon say they have not independently verified the test.
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions in the war in Ukraine and growing concerns from NATO allies about a new generation of Russian nuclear weapons. President Donald Trump, responding to the announcement, said that Putin “should end the war in Ukraine, not test missiles” and reaffirmed that the US is not “playing games” with Russia’s nuclear programme.
Why this matters
- The development of the Poseidon marks a significant leap in underwater nuclear-capable weapons, raising the stakes for global nuclear deterrence and arms control.
- Independent verification is lacking, which leaves uncertainty about the true operational status of the system and the technical claims being made.
- The timing of the announcement, amid the conflict in Ukraine, suggests strategic messaging aimed at both domestic and international audiences.
Source: Fox News – “Putin hails successful test of nuclear-powered underwater torpedo”, October 29, 2025
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