President Vladimir Putin, on Wednesday, announced that Russia successfully tested a nuclear-powered submersible drone, 'Poseidon', which is "much more powerful" than Russia's most advanced prospective 'Sarmat' ballistic missile. The announcement came days after Putin revealed that Russia successfully tested the nuclear-powered 'Burevestnik' cruise missile with unlimited range.
Poseidon, equipped with a nuclear power plant that is 100 times smaller than the reactor of a strategic submarine, was launched from a mother submarine. According to Putin, the destructive power of Poseidon surpasses that of the prospective Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile.
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“There is nothing like this in the world in terms of the speed and the depth of the movement of this unmanned vehicle — and it is unlikely there ever will be,” Putin reportedly claimed.
Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, called the underwater drone, which can reportedly travel about 115 miles per hour, "a doomsday weapon."
Capabilities of Poseidon
Defence analyst Igor Korotchenko noted that Poseidon is an autonomous underwater vehicle, designed to deliver a high-yield nuclear warhead to coastal targets. The weapon, one of the six nuclear-weapons projects of Russia, is designed to evade detection and interception and can operate at great depths at high speeds.
According to him, its size and weight allow it to carry a powerful nuclear warhead capable of destroying enemy coastal installations if detonated nearby.
According to TASS, he claimed that the successful testing of the underwater drone may influence the future of arms control and may prompt the US to honour the New START treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) terms, which is an agreement for nuclear arms reduction between the US and Russia, after its expiration.
According to him, Poseidon does not fall under current treaty classifications, meaning it is not subject to any restrictions.
Nuclear arms race on cards?
The back-to-back successful tests appeared to have rattled the US as President Donald Trump directed the US military to immediately resume testing nuclear weapons, after more than three decades.
"Because of other countries' testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately," Trump posted on Truth Social.
Kremlin clarifies
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tried to clear the air surrounding the weapons, saying, "Regarding the tests of Poseidon and Burevestnik, we hope that the information was conveyed correctly to President Trump...This cannot in any way be interpreted as a nuclear test."
"The US is a sovereign country which has a right to make its sovereign decisions. But I want to recall President Putin's statement, which has been repeated many times: if someone departs from the moratorium, Russia will act accordingly," BBC quoted the spokesperson as saying.
