Moscow, Russia

President Vladimir Putin has reportedly ordered Satan II missiles to be ready for possible nuclear combat, raising the stakes in Russia's war with Ukraine.

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According to multiple reports citing Russian state media, Putin ordered that Satan II be ready for battle 'as soon as possible.'

The move comes after Ukraine used US-made ATACMS missiles on November 25 and UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles against Russia a couple of days later.

In response, Russia struck Ukraine with an experimental missile.

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Watch: Russia- Ukraine War: Nuclear tensions reach boiling point

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ATACMS stands for Army Tactical Missile System. These are supersonic tactical ballistic missiles.

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The Storm Shadow is a Franco-British long-range air-launched cruise missile that can escape detection.

What is Satan II?

Satan is a huge intercontinental ballistic missile, originally called the RS-28 Sarmat. 

It can deliver nuclear warheads thousands of kilometres away and can potentially hit targets in the US or Europe.

It is named after the Sarmatians, a nomadic clan from history who fought Atila the Hun. 

Also read: Ukraine war: Zelensky says conflict will 'end sooner' once Trump becomes US president

Satan II is a rather derogatory name given to the ICBM, mostly by the Western media. 

The three-stage missile is launched from silos and is liquid-fueled.

But one of these missiles exploded during testing in September, which was seen as a big setback for Putin.

Also read: Biden to provide nukes to Ukraine? Russia responds with a nuclear warning

Putin's reported order to accelerate the deployment of Satan came amid threats of retaliation by Russia over Ukraine's use of ATACMS inside its territory.

The Western media had reported that US President Joe Biden could give nuclear weapons to Ukraine before leaving office in January 2025.

Russian foreign ministry warned on Wednesday (Nov 27) that tic could be an insane idea that can prove to be a catastrophe.

(With inputs from agencies)