By Mark Trevelyan

LONDON, (Reuters) –Russia announced Saturday that it will deploy its Sarmat intercontinental missiles capable of carrying out nuclear attacks against the United States by autumn.

Dmitry Rogozin of Roscosmos, the head of its space agency Roscosmos, stated that his target is ambitious. Russia has only announced the launch of its first rocket on Wednesday. Western military experts predict more tests will need to be conducted before the missile can deploy.

Sarmat can carry 10 to more nuclear warheads or decoys. It is also capable of hitting targets thousands of miles from the United States and Europe.

The test this week, which was delayed for years due to financial and technical problems, is a sign of Russia’s strength in a situation when tensions are high with America and its allies.

Rogozin claimed in an interview on Russian state TV that the missiles were to be deployed in conjunction with a unit from the Krasnoyarsk area of Siberia. This region is located approximately 3,000 km (1,860 mile) east Moscow.

They would be located at the same locations and within the same silos of the Soviet-era Voyevoda rockets that they replace, which would reduce “colossal resource and time”.

Rogozin stated that the launch of Russia’s “super-weapon”, was a historic moment, which would ensure the safety of Russia’s grandchildren and children for 30-40 more years.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, February 24, 2017, Western concerns about nuclear war have increased. In a speech in the speech, he pointedly mentioned Moscow’s nukes and warned that any attempts to enter Russia’s territory would lead to “such consequences as you’ve never experienced in your entire history.”

Antonio Guterres from the United Nations stated last month that nuclear conflict was once possible.