Putin defies Trump test second nuclear weapons in days

President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday, October 29, that Russia has successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, known as Poseidon, marking Moscow’s second test of an advanced nuclear weapons system in just a few days.

The declaration came only days after Putin oversaw the test of another nuclear-capable weapon, the Burevestnik cruise missile, which he described as having an “unlimited range.” US President Donald Trump had criticised that earlier test as “not appropriate.”

“Yesterday, another test was conducted for another prospective system, the unmanned underwater device ‘Poseidon,’ also equipped with a nuclear power unit,” Putin said in televised remarks during a visit to a military hospital treating Russian soldiers wounded in Ukraine.

Putin claimed the drone torpedo is impossible to intercept, boasting that it can travel faster than conventional submarines and reach any continent in the world. He said no other country possesses similar capabilities and that it was unlikely any would develop them soon.

According to Russia’s state news agency TASS, the Poseidon can operate at a depth of over one kilometre and travel at speeds of up to 70 knots while remaining undetectable. The weapon, first tested in 2018, is reportedly capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of up to two megatons.

Putin’s announcement defied Trump’s renewed calls for Moscow to focus on ending the ongoing war in Ukraine, now approaching its fourth year. “He ought to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now soon in its fourth year,” Trump said earlier this week.

The US president recently cancelled a planned summit with Putin in Budapest, citing the Russian leader’s unwillingness to compromise on Ukraine. Washington has since imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, accusing the Kremlin of stonewalling peace efforts.

Putin first revealed the existence of both the Burevestnik missile and the Poseidon underwater drone in 2018 during a combative address condemning Western policies and asserting Russia’s growing strategic military strength.