By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Experts said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin suffered an embarrassing setback as his feared ‘Satan 2’ weapon failed four out of five missile tests.
Satellite images reviewed by Worthy News appeared to show extensive damage at the launch pad of Russia’s Plesetsk test site, where the nuclear-capable RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile exploded.
A crater that experts said was about 60 meters (196 feet) wide at the launch silo at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, along with visible destruction nearby, was not seen in images taken earlier in the month.
It suggested that the explosion in the silo created a vast crater and destroyed the test site.
U.S. space technology company “Maxar collected new high-resolution satellite imagery yesterday (September 21st) that reveals the aftermath of a dramatic launch failure of a Russian RS-28 ICBM, said George Barros, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War.
“A large crater…is visible at the launch silo and extensive damage in and around the launchpad can be seen, which suggests that the missile exploded shortly after ignition or launch,” Barros, who shared the photos, wrote on social media platform X.
LAUNCH FAILURE
“We must not understate the importance of this launch failure vis-à-vis the information war. … This is a failure for a strategic Russian weapon system, but it is also an informational victory for Ukraine.”
Experts said that because the RS-28 Sarmat uses liquid fuel, the explosion could have occurred without the rocket’s launch.
This was reportedly the fourth unsuccessful attempt to test this new heavy intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
The only successful test of the Sarmat missile took place on April 20, 2022.
Moscow did not immediately acknowledge the missile test or confirm that it failed. However, it comes as Russia’s military has already suffered setbacks elsewhere.
Thousands of Ukrainian troops have entered Russia’s Kursk region in recent weeks in what Kyiv views as a response to Russian aggression.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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