Vladimir Putin announces chilling nuclear threat amid growing tensions

The Russian President has issued the latest in a series of chilling threats to the West, announcing he would carry out a deadly move by the end of the year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a chilling threat to the West, vowing to deploy the Sarmat hypersonic missile dubbed ‘Satan 2’ by the end of the year as nuclear tensions reach boiling point.

The announcement is the latest in a series of threats made by Mr Putin to the West, as strict sanctions from Western countries continue against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

On Monday, Mr Putin said Russia is set to deploy its deadly ‘Prometheus’ hypersonic nuclear system.

Now, in his latest warning, he said the world-ending Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile would be delivered in the next six months, The Sun reports.

The deadly Satan 2 nuclear missile can fly almost 18,000km, carry 15 warheads and has the potential to destroy an area the size of the UK in a single strike.

Mr Putin hailed the development of the new missile – successfully test-fired earlier this week – as “a big, significant event” for Russia’s defence industry.

“The missile can break through all modern antimissile defences,” the Russian leader said.

“There is nothing like this anywhere in the world, and won’t be for a long time.”

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to deploy the Sarmat hypersonic missile dubbed ‘Satan 2’ by the end of the year. Picture: Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/AFP

Mr Putin has previously said the Satan 2 would “force those who try to threaten Russia to think twice”.

He said he wouldn’t hesitate to extend the Ukrainian war to countries that defy Russia – referring to all of the former territories of the USSR, which he described as “historic Russia”.

Between 1990 and 1991, the Soviet Union fell apart, creating the countries of Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

He also said any countries that turned against the Kremlin would no longer “be allies” with Moscow.

Lithuania blocks Russian access to Kaliningrad

A close Putin ally has accused NATO of engaging in “direct aggression” against Russia and said his country had the right to defend itself.

Speaking on the messaging app Telegram, politician Andrey Klimov slammed Lithuania, which has blocked certain goods from passing through its country into Kaliningrad, a small region of Russia cut off from its borders by Lithuania and Latvia.

On Saturday, Lithuanian authorities announced that goods subject to EU sanctions would no longer be able to pass through its territory to Kaliningrad.

Materials blocked included coal, metals and advanced technology.

The launching of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile at Plesetsk testing field in Russia. Picture: Handout/Russian Defence Ministry/AFP

Kaliningrad’s regional governor Anton Alikhanov said this ban will affect up to half of all goods destined for the small territory.

Mr Klimov, who heads a commission for the defence of state sovereignty, accused the Lithuanian government of violating a treaty signed between Russia and the European Union 20 years ago.

‘Cease to exist’: Threat to Britain

And on Tuesday, one of his allies, retired general Evgeny Buzhinsky threatened to nuke Britain and warned NATO is “playing with fire”.

Speaking on Russian TV, Mr Buzhinsky lashed out at British General Sir Patrick Sanders who took over command of the UK’s land forces this week.

General Sanders issued a rallying call to troops to prepare to fight and beat Russian forces in a Third World War as he took on the role.

“He doesn’t understand that as a result of the Third World War Britain will physically cease to exist,” Mr Buzhinsky said.

In April, Mr Putin hit back at war games held by NATO, by staging its own drills in the Baltic Sea, with 60 warships, 40 aircraft and 2000 units of weapons involved.

The navy drills came amid mounting tensions between Moscow and NATO after Sweden and Finland submitted their bids to join the US-led alliance after the start of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.

If their membership – currently blocked by Turkey – is approved, Russia would become the only non-NATO country on the Baltic Sea.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Vladimir Putin announces chilling nuclear threat amid growing tensions