Western leaders must “go cap in hand” to Vladimir Putin to avert deployment of a nuclear-powered torpedo with no global counterpart, Russia’s State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin has claimed. Volodin, a close Putin ally often dubbed the Kremlin’s enforcer, issued the warning on Wednesday at a Duma session, escalating Moscow’s nuclear posturing amid stalled Ukraine peace talks.
He credited Russia’s Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile for enabling tests of the Poseidon torpedo. In a clip shared by former Ukrainian Interior Ministry advisor Anton Geraschenko, he said: “No one believed [in Burevestnik], but the president did and kept everything under control.” The missile’s development, he added, allowed Poseidon trials, yielding “the most modern weapon” that boosts national defence.
Volodin bragged: “There is no equal to this weapon at all,” urging abroad actors harming Russia to bow before Putin “only so that they don’t use this weapon.”
The speech, broadcast on state media, drew swift condemnation from Kyiv and NATO capitals. Ukrainian officials called it “desperate bluff” amid battlefield setbacks for Russian forces.
A NATO spokesperson reiterated the alliance’s readiness but stressed the importance of de-escalation.
Volodin’s intervention follows Putin’s own Poseidon boast two days earlier. Addressing defence officials on 29 October, Putin declared a recent test “a huge success.”
He claimed the torpedo’s destructive power surpasses even Russia’s Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile – dubbed “Satan II” in the West – with “nothing like the Sarmat in the world.”
Putin added: “It is unlikely anything similar will appear in the near future, and there are no means of interception.”
Poseidon, a 24-metre autonomous underwater vehicle, is designed to evade detection and strike coastal targets with a 100-megaton warhead, potentially triggering radioactive tsunamis.
Unveiled in 2018, its development has faced delays, including a 2019 explosion at a test site that killed five engineers. Burevestnik, meanwhile, promises unlimited range via nuclear propulsion but has logged few verified flights.
Such disclosures coincide with heightened East-West tensions. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, now in its fourth year, has prompted NATO to bolster eastern flanks. Moscow accuses the West of direct involvement, citing US-supplied long-range missiles used against Russian territory.
Across the Atlantic, US President Donald Trump has responded with his own nuclear edge. On Tuesday, Trump directed the Pentagon – rebranded the “Department of War” under his administration – to resume nuclear weapons testing “on an equal basis” with adversaries.
The order marks the first such push since the US halted explosive tests in 1992 under a self-imposed moratorium. Trump described the policy to reporters as a direct response to Russian and Chinese advances, emphasising reciprocity in testing.
The move has split US lawmakers. Republicans hailed it as restoring deterrence; Democrats warned of the risks of an arms race. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia has not carried out nuclear tests recently but would consider doing so if the US proceeds.
Analysts note Trump’s frustration with Putin extends to diplomacy: last week, he deemed a Russian cruise missile test “not appropriate,” urging focus on Ukraine ceasefires.
Experts view the rhetoric as a form of mutual posturing. Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists said both sides are signalling resolve without crossing red lines. Yet risks persist: a 2023 study estimated Poseidon could contaminate 300 square kilometres if detonated near a city.
Volodin’s plea underscores Moscow’s leverage play. With winter looming and Ukrainian advances in Kursk, Russia seeks concessions at potential talks in Istanbul.
However Western aid pledges – £39bn (€50bn) from the EU, (£46bn) $61bn from the US – suggest no quick capitulation.
As sabre-rattling intensifies, global markets dipped 1.2% on Thursday, with oil up 3% on escalation fears. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for restraint, stating that nuclear threats solve nothing and endanger everyone.
