Russia has successfully tested its new nuclear underwater drone, Poseidon, President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday, calling the weapon impossible to intercept.
Speaking at a meeting with soldiers wounded in Ukraine, Putin said the Poseidon operated on nuclear power for the first time during a test on Tuesday. He described the drone as “unmatched in speed and depth,” with a reactor “100 times smaller” than those used in submarines and a warhead more powerful than the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile.
“For the first time, we managed not only to launch it from its carrier submarine but also to activate its nuclear power unit,” Putin said. “There is nothing like this unmanned vehicle anywhere in the world, and there is no way to intercept it.”
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Russian media reports said Poseidon can travel up to 200 kilometers per hour and operate at extreme depths, with its nuclear propulsion giving it virtually unlimited range.
The test came days after Putin hailed the success of another nuclear-powered weapon, the Burevestnik cruise missile, which reportedly flew 14,000 kilometers during a 15-hour test, according to Gen. Valery Gerasimov.
Both weapons, first unveiled in 2018, are part of Moscow’s response to U.S. missile defense systems. Putin’s renewed emphasis on nuclear capability follows new U.S. sanctions and the suspension of a planned summit with President Donald Trump.