February 13, 2026
Missing the mark: Why Putin’s “wonder weapons” only make Russia less secure
When the New START Treaty between Russia and the U.S. expired on Feb. 5, it marked the first time since the 1970s that no mechanism for limiting the nuclear arsenals of Moscow and Washington was in place. Meanwhile, Russia continues to test nuclear delivery systems under combat conditions in Ukraine, launching the intermediate-range Oreshnik ballistic missile at targets near the Dnipropetrovsk (Nov. 21, 2024) and Lviv (Jan. 8, 2026) regions. Other examples of Putin’s new “wonder weapons” include the nuclear-powered Burevestnik missile, the nuclear-armed unmanned torpedo Poseidon, the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, and the air- and sea-launched hypersonic missiles Kinzhal and Zircon. However, despite high praise from pro-Kremlin media, these systems have proven to be of little practical value, either falling well short of hyped-up promises, or proving to be altogether unusable. In fact, they have actually made Russia less secure: by expanding the bounds of what is permissible in the nuclear realm, Moscow is giving its American adversary the green light to test weapons of a similar class.
TL;DR
- Russia's "wonder weapons," including Oreshnik, Burevestnik, Poseidon, Avangard, Sarmat, Kinzhal, and Zircon, are frequently touted by Vladimir Putin as technologically superior and unparalleled.
- Despite claims of advanced capabilities, many of these weapons have questionable real-world military value, with some not yet existing as tested and deployment-ready systems, and others failing to significantly impact conflicts like the war in Ukraine.
- The development and testing of these advanced Russian weapons, especially in the absence of arms control treaties like New START, raise concerns and prompt countermeasures from the United States, potentially leading to a new arms race.
- Some of Russia's "wonder weapons," such as the Burevestnik, have posed threats to Russia's own population through accidents during testing, and others like the Oreshnik are questioned for their actual effectiveness and accuracy.
- The Poseidon is described as a "never-ending cash-drain megaproject" with unproven capabilities for creating catastrophic tsunamis, and the Avangard's claimed speeds and maneuverability push the boundaries of known physics.
- The Sarmat missile has experienced multiple failed tests, and the Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic missiles have faced challenges in achieving their claimed speeds, maneuverability, and accuracy, with instances of interception by Ukrainian air defenses.
- Putin's "wonder weapons" have not demonstrably affected the course of the war in Ukraine and are seen as a significant obstacle to concluding new arms control agreements, ultimately harming Russia's long-term national security.
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