Alternative Headline: Putin Boasts of Unstoppable Poseidon Drone After Second Nuclear Weapon Test in a Week
MOSCOW, RUSSIA: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday the successful test of a new nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drone known as Poseidon, calling it a “doomsday machine” that “cannot be intercepted.”
The test, which reportedly occurred on Tuesday, saw the drone run on its nuclear power unit for the first time. The announcement marks Russia’s second nuclear weapon test in just a week, following the recent test of the nuclear-powered Burevestnik missile.
Speaking to wounded soldiers, President Putin boasted that the Poseidon has “unmatched in speed and depth.” He claimed its nuclear reactor is “100 times smaller” than those on submarines, and the power of its nuclear warhead is “significantly higher” than Russia’s Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile.
This strategic show of force comes as talks with the US have stalled due to Moscow’s reluctance to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. However, there has been no independent confirmation that the test took place.