Russia’s Failed Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Test Comes Amid New START Treaty Suspension

A test of an intercontinental ballistic missile by Russia appears to have failed around the time President Joe Biden was in Ukraine, according to two US officials familiar with the matter.

The test of the heavy SARMAT missile, nicknamed the Satan II in the West and capable of delivering multiple nuclear warheads, was conducted on February 18th and was notified to the United States in advance through deconfliction lines under the New START treaty obligations.

The US officials said that the test did not pose a risk to the United States and that the US did not view the test as an anomaly or an escalation. They added that such testing is routine and that the US did not view the test as a surprise or as a threat to the United States.

The failed missile launch comes as Russia has suspended its participation in the New START treaty, a nuclear arms control agreement between the US and Russia. The treaty, which was signed in 2010, is set to expire in February 2021 unless the two countries agree to extend it.

The failed missile launch is believed to be part of Russia’s efforts to modernize its nuclear arsenal. The US has expressed its commitment to extending the New START treaty and has urged Russia to do the same.