The US believes Russia conducted an ICBM test while Biden was in Ukraine

Russia carried out an ICBM test on Monday while Joe Biden was in Ukraine, according to a report, but warned the United States ahead of time.

Several hours before Biden was due to arrive in kyiv, Moscow was told he would be there and warned not to attack the city during that time. The bold visit, designed to emphasize US support for Ukraine as the first anniversary approaches, was not publicized in advance.

But on Tuesday, two sources told CNN that Russia tested an intercontinental ballistic missile known as Satan II while the president was meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart.

Moscow warned Washington ahead of time, and US officials told CNN they did not view the launch as an escalation. Test launch failed.

An April 2022 Russian government photo showing the launch of ‘Satan II’, the SARMAT missile, from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region

The test of the SARMAT heavy missile, capable of launching multiple nuclear warheads, would have been highlighted by President Vladimir Putin in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, officials believe, had it been successful.

Putin has announced successful ICBM tests in the past, including in April, weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine.

That test was also for the SARMAT missile that was first unveiled in 2016.

The missile is said to have a range of more than 6,835 miles and can carry a warhead weighing 100 tons.

It was designed as a successor to the R-36M Voevoda ICBM.

Russia has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, inherited from the Soviet Union, and until the COVID pandemic was subject to constant inspections and controls by the US, which is a close second.

During his speech on Tuesday, Putin announced that he was withdrawing from the last remaining nuclear treaties, the New START Treaty.

Senior Biden administration officials have insisted that Putin’s move will not change the status quo because there have been no inspections since 2020.

Putin also said he would stick to the limit of 1,550 nuclear weapons per side and insisted he would not withdraw from the treaty.

But he made it clear that he wanted to get rid of arms control by arguing that the United States and the West want to inflict “strategic defeat” and “get on our nuclear facilities.”

The treaty expires in 2026 and could usher in a Cold War-like era, when nations could amass reserves capable of wiping out countries in seconds.

Vladimir Putin signaled the end of formal arms control between the world’s two biggest nuclear superpowers when he announced he would suspend Russia’s participation in the New Start treaty on Tuesday.

William Alberque, director of arms strategy, technology and control at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told Reuters that “both sides could immediately go from 1,550 deployed strategic warheads to 4,000, that could happen overnight.”

Security analysts have also said this could end mutual deterrence and allow other superpowers such as China, India and Pakistan to develop their own arsenals.

Putin also claimed that US and NATO inspectors would pass on information about the nuclear sites to the Ukrainians in order to launch attacks.

“This is a theater of the absurd,” he said.

“We know that the West is directly involved in the kyiv regime’s attempts to attack the bases.”

As the United States awaits Russia’s next move, the Biden administration has time to formulate a response.

Republican Congressman Mike Rogers, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said it was “no surprise” that Putin had called off participation and called for a response.

He said the United States should deploy additional nuclear forces and speed up planning in case Putin breaches limits.