Russia's Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, known in the west as Satan II, has suffered a catastrophic failure during a test launch, according to satellite images analyzed.

The images captured by Maxar on 21 September revealed a crater about 60 meters wide at the launch silo at Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, showing extensive damage not visible in earlier pictures.

The RS-28 Sarmat, a key weapon in Russia's nuclear arsenal modernization, has been plagued by development delays and testing setbacks.

Analysts Pavel Podvig and Timothy Wright indicated that the failure likely occurred soon after ignition, resulting in significant damage to the test site.

James Acton, a nuclear specialist, confirmed the explosion via satellite images.

The Kremlin referred inquiries to the defense ministry, which has not commented.

The incident comes as the US and its allies closely watch Russia's nuclear developments amid heightened tensions due to the Ukraine conflict.