Putin’s Claim of New Nuclear Weapon Dismissed by Analyst as False

For decades Russia has wielded propaganda as one of its most powerful weapons. The Kremlin has repeatedly blurred the line between reality and theatre. Now, analysts say the latest chapter in that tradition has arrived. Moscow’s recent announcement of a successful test of its so-called “doomsday” nuclear torpedo, Poseidon, is being dismissed by experts as another carefully staged illusion.

The Kremlin claimed on October 29 that it had successfully tested the Poseidon, a nuclear-powered underwater drone said to carry a 100-megaton warhead capable of creating radioactive tsunamis. First unveiled in 2018, the weapon was presented as capable of bypassing Western defences and devastating coastal targets.

Yet experts have long doubted its operational viability. The project has been shrouded in secrecy and marred by fatal accidents, including a 2019 explosion aboard the Losharik submersible that killed 14 sailors. Reports from NATO and Western intelligence agencies have repeatedly questioned whether the torpedo’s propulsion system and stealth capabilities function as claimed.

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags into its fourth year, analysts see the new claim as a calculated act of propaganda designed to project strength while masking battlefield setbacks.

“Putin’s announcement is widely viewed as a propaganda flex aimed at global deterrence and domestic reassurance,” said Yuriy Boyechko, head of the humanitarian aid organization Hope for Ukraine, in an interview with Express.co.uk.

Boyechko noted that the Kremlin’s narrative of military and technological supremacy coincided with reports of heavy Russian losses and stalled offensives near the Ukrainian cities of Myrnohrad and Pokrovsk. “Independent analysts, Western governments, and Ukrainian officials have strongly disputed both claims,” he added, referring to Moscow’s assertion of surrounding Ukrainian forces and the Poseidon’s alleged successful test.

The strategy represents what Boyechko describes as “layered deceit,” designed “to mask the costly realities of the grinding war and preempt international political pressure.”

The Poseidon, also known by its code name Status-6, was conceived after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea as a deterrent against NATO. According to the Kremlin, the weapon can travel underwater for thousands of miles undetected before detonating near enemy shores, causing catastrophic damage.

Western defense analysts, however, point out significant technical flaws in Russia’s claims. Such a large, nuclear-powered drone would likely be easily trackable by sophisticated sonar systems and would face major engineering challenges in practical deployment. “It’s not supremacy, it’s smoke and mirrors,” Boyechko said.

His assessment aligns with a growing consensus among military experts that Putin’s frequent “wonder weapon” announcements serve primarily as psychological tools meant to sustain domestic morale and intimidate foreign audiences rather than reflect genuine military advances.

The nuclear rhetoric was further amplified on October 31 when State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin warned that Western nations should “beg on their knees” to avoid a Poseidon or Burevestnik missile launch. This provocative statement drew a sharp response from U.S. President Donald Trump, who countered that “Putin should end the Ukraine war, not test missiles.”

Russia’s pattern of making grandiose claims about military capabilities has become a hallmark of its information warfare strategy. Similar declarations have been made about hypersonic missiles, nuclear-powered cruise missiles, and advanced fighter jets, often with limited evidence of operational deployment or combat effectiveness.

Military technology experts note that while Russia does possess advanced weapons systems, the capabilities are frequently exaggerated, and development timelines extended far beyond initial projections. The gap between announcement and deployment serves Moscow’s narrative purposes while obscuring technical limitations.

“The timing of these announcements signals a continued dependence on illusion to justify the war’s mounting costs,” Boyechko warned. This assessment reflects broader concerns that Russia’s nuclear posturing serves to distract from battlefield failures and the economic toll of a conflict now entering its fourth year.

As Western nations continue to support Ukraine with increasingly advanced weapons systems, Russia’s reliance on theatrical military claims appears aimed at maintaining an image of technological parity despite growing evidence to the contrary. For a regime that has long wielded propaganda as a strategic asset, the latest claims about Poseidon represent not a new military capability but a familiar tactic in Russia’s information warfare playbook.