Will Putin’s Satan 2 annihilate Ukraine after the Operation Spider Web assault?

The Russia-Ukraine war has reached a terrifying new peak with Ukraine’s bold “Operation Spider Web” striking deep into Russian territory. This massive drone attack, involving 117 drones targeting Russian airfields, has been hailed by President Volodymyr Zelensky as Ukraine’s most daring long-range operation yet. The strike hit strategic sites, disrupting Russia’s ability to launch cruise missiles to some extent. But this audacious move has raised a chilling question: Will Vladimir Putin retaliate with the RS-28 Sarmat, the fearsome intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) known as “Satan 2”?

The Satan 2, in development since 2009 and also called SS-X-30 by NATO, is a monstrous weapon designed to replace the 1970s-era Satan ICBM. Housed in underground silos, it’s built to carry devastating payloads, including 10 large nuclear warheads, 16 smaller ones, a mix of warheads and decoys, or up to 24 YU-74/Avangard hypersonic boost-glide vehicles. Its destructive power is staggering—a single missile can unleash a blast equivalent to 8 megatons of TNT, over 400 times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed around 150,000 people.

With a range of 18,000 kilometers, it can strike targets anywhere in the world in under an hour, soaring through space on a high, curved path.

What makes Satan 2 so dangerous? It’s equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs), allowing a single missile to release multiple warheads, each capable of hitting separate targets hundreds of miles apart at speeds exceeding 24,000 kilometres per hour. Its smart guidance system keeps it on course, while decoys—fake warheads that mimic real ones—confuse enemy defences. Some warheads may be cooled to evade heat-seeking missiles or disguised to avoid detection. These features, combined with the sheer number of warheads, overwhelm even advanced missile defence systems, which often fail nearly half the time.

The missile’s YU-74/Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, developed under Project 4202, is a game-changer. Launched by ICBMs like Satan 2, it glides through the atmosphere at speeds between Mach 5 and Mach 27 (3,800 to 20,000 miles per hour), covering up to 6,200 miles. Unlike traditional warheads with predictable arcs, Avangard twists and turns, dodging systems like America’s THAAD or NATO’s defences. It can carry nuclear warheads exceeding 2 megatons, conventional weapons, or electronic warfare systems to jam enemy radar. Unveiled by Putin in 2018, Avangard is now in serial production and operated by Russia’s Strategic Rocket Forces, with officials claiming it’s “invulnerable” to existing defences.

Putin has called Satan 2 “unstoppable,” a response to the U.S. withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002. Fully deployed in about 50 silos since 2020, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, it’s a cornerstone of Russia’s arsenal.

A Russian video showcases its launch from a silo, with computer-generated visuals depicting it soaring into space, its front section opening to reveal five nuclear warheads over a digital Earth, styled like a video game.

Ukraine’s Spider Web attack has provoked Moscow’s fury. By targeting airfields housing strategic bombers, Ukraine has challenged Putin’s military might. Russia has already responded to past Ukrainian strikes with brutal missile and drone assaults on cities like Kyiv and Odesa, recently crippling Ukraine’s energy grid. But deploying Satan 2 would be an escalation of apocalyptic proportions. The missile has faced test failures, including a botched launch last year that left a crater at a Russian site, raising doubts about its reliability. Using an unproven weapon risks embarrassing Putin and weakening his image. More critically, firing a nuclear-capable missile could invite global condemnation and draw NATO into the conflict, a step even Putin might hesitate to take.

Yet Putin’s warnings are ominous. He has promised “decisive” responses to Western-supplied weapons like the U.S.-made ATACMS missiles used by Ukraine. Last year, he tested an experimental Oreshnik missile on Dnipro, signalling his readiness to escalate. Satan 2, with its unmatched destructive power, could be his ultimate weapon to intimidate Ukraine and its allies. Fear is Putin’s greatest tool, and the threat of Satan 2 looms large.

Ukraine, backed by Western support, shows no signs of retreat. Zelensky’s bold strikes test Putin’s red lines, but this high-stakes gamble carries grave risks. If Putin feels cornered, he might turn to Satan 2 or other terrifying weapons like the Poseidon nuclear torpedo or Burevestnik cruise missile. Any of these could plunge the war into a new catastrophic phase.

The world watches a deadly game unfold. Ukraine’s Spider Web has wounded Russia’s pride, but Putin’s next move could decide whether this conflict remains conventional or spirals into a nightmare. For now, Satan 2 waits in its silo, a menacing spectre over the battlefield. The hope is that reason prevails before the unthinkable becomes reality.

(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany)

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)