Moscow (TDI): During a visit to the P.V. Mandryk Central Military Clinical Hospital on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that Russia has successfully tested its unmanned underwater vehicle “Poseidon” equipped with a nuclear power unit.
According to Putin, the milestone marks the first time the system was launched from a submarine, igniting its booster engine and subsequently activating its onboard nuclear reactor.
“We conducted another test – the Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle also with a nuclear power plant,” Putin told wounded service personnel during his hospital visit.
He added: “For the first time we managed not only to launch it with a starting engine from a carrier submarine, but also to start the nuclear power unit.”
Read More: At Russia-Central Asia Summit, Putin Stresses More Trade, More Integration
Putin described the test as a “tremendous success,” emphasizing that Poseidon’s design is exceptionally compact: its reactor is said to be around one‑hundred times smaller than that of a submarine, yet its power “significantly exceeds” that of Russia’s next‑generation intercontinental ballistic missile Sarmat.
“In terms of speed and operational depth there is nothing comparable to this unmanned system in the world – nor is there any means capable of intercepting it,” he declared.
The President underlined that while Sarmat is not yet on combat duty, Poseidon “greatly exceeds” it in destructive potential and capability. He also insisted that the underwater system has no analogues globally and that no comparable system is likely to appear in the near future.
Poseidon reflects Russia’s efforts to advance its strategic weapons portfolio. Putin’s hospital appearance, where he met wounded soldiers, served as the platform for the unveiling of what the Kremlin says is a pivotal leap in nuclear‑powered strategic systems.
Established in December 2008, The Diplomatic Insight is Pakistan’s premier diplomacy and foreign affairs magazine, available in both digital and print formats.
