MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia successfully conducted a test of the Poseidon, a nuclear-powered super torpedo. Military analysts suggest this advanced weapon has the potential to cause catastrophic damage along coastlines by generating enormous radioactive ocean waves.
Amid rising tensions with the United States, where President Donald Trump has intensified his rhetoric and stance towards Russia, Putin has demonstrated Russia’s military capabilities through recent tests. These included the launch of a new Burevestnik cruise missile on October 21 and nuclear missile drills on October 22.
Details about the Poseidon remain scarce, but it is described as a hybrid of a torpedo and a drone, powered by nuclear energy and named after the ancient Greek sea deity. Putin, speaking casually over tea and cakes at a Moscow hospital with wounded soldiers from Ukraine, stated that the test was carried out on Tuesday.
He claimed, “For the first time, we successfully launched it from a carrier submarine using a launch engine, and the nuclear power unit on board operated as intended for a certain duration.” Putin emphasized that there is no known method to intercept such a weapon, which experts estimate can travel up to 10,000 km (6,200 miles) at approximately 185 km/h.
The tests of the Poseidon and Burevestnik serve as a strategic signal that Russia intends to stand firm against Western pressure over Ukraine. Putin sees these advancements as a demonstration that Russia remains a formidable military power, particularly in nuclear capabilities.
The Poseidon, also known in NATO as Kanyon, is a new addition to Russia’s nuclear arsenal. It measures about 20 meters in length, 1.8 meters in diameter, and weighs roughly 100 tonnes, according to Russian sources. Experts suggest the weapon could carry a two-megaton warhead and might be powered by a liquid-metal-cooled nuclear reactor.
Putin has claimed that the Poseidon surpasses even Russia’s most advanced missile, the Sarmat (known as Satan II or SS-X-29), in destructive power. Since its announcement alongside the Burevestnik in 2018, the weapon has been positioned as a response to U.S. efforts to develop missile defense systems. These efforts intensified after the U.S. withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2001 and NATO’s eastward expansion.
In response to Russia’s recent tests, Trump criticized Putin, urging him to focus on ending the conflict in Ukraine rather than pursuing nuclear tests.
