MOSCOW — Russia has conducted a successful test of a new atomic-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drone, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday, declaring that the new weapon can’t be intercepted.
Putin’s statement, which comes three days after he praised a successful test of a new nuclear-powered cruise missile, appears to be another message to U.S. President Donald Trump that Russia is standing firm in its maximalist demands on Ukraine.
Speaking at a meeting with soldiers wounded in Ukraine, Putin said the Poseidon drone was tested while running on nuclear power for the first time Tuesday, describing it as a “huge success.” Poseidon is unmatched in speed and depth, he said, and “there is no way to intercept it.”
He said the nuclear reactor that powers Poseidon is “100 times smaller” than those on submarines, and the power of its nuclear warhead is “significantly higher than that of our prospective Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile.”
Putin first mentioned the underwater nuclear-powered drone in his 2018 state-of-the-nation address along with other prospective weapons. Russian media reported that Poseidon was designed to explode near coastlines and unleash a powerful radioactive tsunami.
Putin said that during Tuesday’s test, Poseidon traveled on nuclear power for the first time. He didn’t say where the trials were conducted or give any other details.
He also revealed new details about the Burevestnik cruise missile, saying its nuclear reactor is “1,000 times smaller” than one on a submarine.
On Sunday, Russia’s chief military officer, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, reported to Putin that an Oct. 21 test of Burevestnik was a complete success.
The missile covered 14,000 kilometers (8,680 miles) during a 15-hour flight using nuclear fuel and conducted maneuvers “demonstrating its high capabilities in evading missile and air defense systems,” Gerasimov said.
Putin has brandished Russia’s nuclear might repeatedly since sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022, declaring that Moscow was prepared to use “all means” to protect its security interests. He again turned to nuclear messaging since Trump has put a planned Budapest summit with Putin on hold and declared his first major sanctions against Russia since returning to the White House.
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