Vladimir Putin has made his heaviest nuclear threat yet, saying two systems are ready to be deployed.

The Russian leader ranted and raved against the West on Thursday at a conference in Sochi, Russia.

In his speech, he said his 'Satan-2' and 'Flying Chernobyl' missiles will be ready soon, and touted their destructive ability.

Putin claimed Russia had "practically finished work on the modern strategic weapons that I have been talking about and I announced a few years ago".

In the conference, Putin painted a grim portrait of Russia's nuclear arsenal.

He said: "From the moment the launch of missiles is detected, no matter where it comes from - from any point of the world ocean or from any territory - such a number, so many hundreds of our missiles appear in the air in a retaliatory strike that there is no chance of survival there will be no single enemy left, and in several directions at once."

Putin then claimed: "The last successful test of the Burevestnik, a global-range cruise missile with a nuclear installation, a nuclear propulsion system, has been carried out."

The 'Flying Chernobyl' Burevestnik missile is known for its capability to stay airborne for extended periods.

According to a report by the New York Times, satellite imagery and aviation data point to ongoing preparations for what is believed to be a nuclear weapons test around an Arctic base.

Should the missile be deployed, it would be a game changer for Russia, allowing it to strike with a potential range of 14,000 miles.

However, the missile, also known as SSC-X-9 Skyfall, has a checkered history, including 13 unsuccessful tests, with one in 2019 resulting in seven dead.

Putin also claimed however that "we have actually finished work on Sarmat [Satan-2], on the super-heavy missile".

Sarmat, unveiled in 2018, has an operational range of 11,000 miles, travels at a staggering 15,880mph, and is the size of a 14-storey tower block.

There is only evidence of one successful test of this weapon, well below the dozen needed for deployment.

And at the start of September, Roscosmos Director General Yuri Borisov said the weapon system had been placed on official combat duty amid the war with Ukraine.

It comes after a Russian Telegram channel with links to the Kremlin's security services claimed an "agent" had revealed he had been given a mission to "remove" Putin.

The channel VChK-OGPU said the conversation took place at karaoke club Honey - a known hangout for security service spooks in Chekhov, near Moscow.

It also claimed the so-called "agent" showed the informant a service ID card and had a "long heart-to-heart conversation about the war and future life in Russia".

 

Daily Express, USA