On October 28, 2025, Russia stunned the world by conducting a successful test of its Poseidon nuclear-powered underwater drone, a weapon President Vladimir Putin has hailed as a "huge success" and a game-changer in modern strategic warfare. Speaking the next day with wounded soldiers in Moscow, Putin did not hold back his pride, declaring that the Poseidon torpedo is unmatched in both speed and depth, and, perhaps most ominously, that "there is no way to intercept it."
The Poseidon, also known as the 2M39, is not just another addition to Russia’s arsenal. According to The Associated Press, it’s an atomic-powered, autonomous torpedo drone capable of carrying a nuclear warhead with a yield significantly higher than even Russia’s formidable Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. This latest test marked the first time the Poseidon traveled under its own nuclear power, a milestone Putin described as a “huge success.” He elaborated, “For the first time, we managed not only to launch it with a launch engine from a carrier submarine, but also to launch the nuclear power unit on which this device passed a certain amount of time.”
What makes the Poseidon so threatening? For one, its nuclear reactor is 100 times smaller than those found on traditional submarines, yet it packs a punch that, by Putin’s own words, "significantly exceeds the power of even our most promising Sarmat intercontinental range missile." The torpedo is designed for deep-water operation, reportedly reaching depths of up to 1,000 meters and speeds of up to 100 knots (about 115 miles per hour), as The Economic Times reports. This combination of speed, depth, and autonomy makes it virtually impossible to intercept, a claim repeated by Putin and echoed by military analysts worldwide.
The Poseidon’s destructive power is not limited to its explosive yield. Western analysts and Russian media alike have speculated about its ability to trigger a “radioactive tsunami” if detonated near a coastline, potentially rendering entire regions uninhabitable. The idea is chilling: a weapon not just designed to destroy, but to contaminate, disrupt, and deter on a scale that few other systems can match. Its nuclear warhead is estimated to be several megatons—enough to obliterate large coastal cities, ports, and naval bases, according to The Economic Times.
Putin’s announcement came just three days after Russia’s successful test of another nuclear-powered weapon, the Burevestnik cruise missile. The Burevestnik, according to Gen. Valery Gerasimov as quoted by The Associated Press, covered 14,000 kilometers during a 15-hour flight, demonstrating its ability to evade missile and air defense systems. Putin boasted that the Burevestnik’s nuclear reactor can activate in “minutes or seconds,” underlining the rapid technological advances in Russia’s nuclear arsenal.
But why now? The timing of these announcements is no coincidence. The failed summit between President Trump and Putin, coupled with new U.S. sanctions on Russia and the ongoing war in Ukraine, has heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington. As The New York Times notes, these tests serve as a clear message to the international community—and especially to the United States—that Russia’s nuclear deterrent is both modern and formidable. Putin’s repeated nuclear messaging since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including his willingness to use “all means” to protect Russia’s security interests, is meant to project strength and deter adversaries.
The Poseidon is not just a weapon; it’s a symbol. Unveiled in 2018 alongside five other so-called superweapons, it was designed to bypass conventional missile defense systems and to provide Russia with a second-strike capability. Its autonomous navigation allows it to follow programmed routes and potentially adjust its path in real time, though the exact guidance mechanisms remain a closely guarded secret. It is launched from specially-modified submarines, giving it strategic flexibility and the ability to strike from unexpected locations.
Despite years of skepticism from Western analysts—some doubted the Poseidon even existed after its first leak on Russian TV in 2015—this week’s confirmation has shifted the conversation. As Bloomberg notes, Putin’s televised remarks were unequivocal: “Yesterday, we conducted another test of another promising system: the Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle. For the first time, we were able to not only launch it from a submarine using its booster motor, but to activate its nuclear propulsion system.”
Still, many details remain shrouded in secrecy. The Russian government has not disclosed the exact location of the test, the full operational range, or the precise yield of the Poseidon’s warhead. The number of operational Poseidon units is unknown, and there is no independent verification of the weapon’s ability to generate a “radioactive tsunami.” Some experts caution that while the Poseidon’s capabilities are impressive on paper, many of its features could still be aspirational rather than fully realized.
The strategic implications of the Poseidon test are profound. As The Economic Times points out, the weapon introduces a new dimension to nuclear deterrence, one that bypasses traditional missile-based defense systems and requires nations to rethink the protection of their coastal cities and critical infrastructure. The psychological impact of such a weapon—a silent, unstoppable drone lurking beneath the waves—cannot be underestimated. It forces military planners to consider threats from below as well as above, and it raises the stakes for any confrontation involving Russia’s nuclear arsenal.
Putin’s rhetoric has only added to the sense of urgency. “There is nothing like this in the world in terms of the speed and the depth of the movement of this unmanned vehicle—and it is unlikely there ever will be,” he claimed. While some in the West may see this as bluster, the successful test of both the Poseidon and the Burevestnik in quick succession is a stark reminder that the nuclear arms race is far from over.
As for the future, the Poseidon’s operational status and reliability under real-world combat conditions remain open questions. But its very existence, now confirmed by multiple official statements and tests, will undoubtedly influence defense strategies, arms control negotiations, and the broader conversation about global security for years to come.
For now, the world watches and waits, aware that beneath the surface of the world’s oceans, a new era of nuclear deterrence has begun.