Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday announced that Russia has successfully tested the Poseidon, a nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drone, marking the country’s second major nuclear weapons test within a week.
The announcement came despite strong warnings from US President Donald Trump, who recently condemned Moscow’s continued testing of advanced nuclear systems as “inappropriate” amid ongoing tensions over the war in Ukraine.
“Yesterday, another test was conducted for another prospective system — the unmanned underwater device ‘Poseidon,’ also equipped with a nuclear power unit,” Putin said during televised remarks at a military hospital where he met Russian soldiers wounded in Ukraine.
‘No Way to Intercept Poseidon,’ Claims Putin
Putin described Poseidon as an unparalleled underwater weapon, capable of traveling faster than any conventional submarine and reaching any continent in the world.
“There is no way to intercept the drone torpedo. No country can match Poseidon’s speed and diving depth, and it is unlikely that anything similar will appear in the near future,” Putin asserted.
According to sources in Russia’s military-industrial complex quoted by state news agency TASS, the Poseidon can operate at depths exceeding one kilometre and reach speeds of up to 70 knots while remaining undetectable.
First tested in 2018, the underwater drone is reportedly capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of up to two megatons, making it one of the most powerful weapons in Russia’s arsenal.
US Criticizes Russia’s Missile Tests
The announcement follows Putin’s oversight of another nuclear-capable weapon test on Sunday — the Burevestnik cruise missile, which he claimed has an “unlimited range.”
US President Donald Trump denounced that test, saying it was “not appropriate,” and urged Putin to shift focus to ending the Ukraine war instead.
“He ought to get the war (in Ukraine) ended. A war that should have taken one week is now soon in its fourth year. That’s what he ought to do instead of testing missiles,” Trump said.
Tensions Rise as US Imposes New Sanctions on Russia
Relations between Washington and Moscow have continued to deteriorate. Trump last week canceled a planned summit with Putin in Budapest, accusing the Russian leader of showing “no willingness to compromise” to end the war.
The US administration also imposed new sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, saying that negotiations with Moscow to halt the war had “gone nowhere.”
Trump, who returned to the White House in January, has repeatedly pushed for a ceasefire deal, but talks have stalled amid Putin’s resistance to Western pressure.
Background: Putin’s 2018 Weapons Announcement
Putin first unveiled the Poseidon and Burevestnik projects in 2018, during a fiery address that condemned Western nations and showcased Russia’s growing nuclear capabilities.
At the time, he said the development of such systems was a response to Western aggression and NATO’s military buildup, describing them as part of a new generation of “invincible” strategic weapons.
Putin Announces Successful Test Of Nuclear-Powered ‘Poseidon’ Underwater Drone, Says No Nation Can Match Its Capabilities
