Image Source : AP Russia's intercontinental ballistic missile RS-20 - File photo

Russia will soon carry out the test launch of its 100-tonne 'Satan 2' ballistic missile that will be powerful enough to obliterate 'an area the size of France'.

The missile, also known as RS-28 Sarmat, is capable of beating any defences and wiping out entire countries, Daily Mail quoted Russia’s military as saying.



The missile, in pipelines since 2009, is now ready for test after several failures with initial trials likely to be carried out before the end of the year.



Daily Mail added in its report that the launches will be held at the Plesetsk testing ground in west Russia.

If the tests prove successful, the weapon could be in use by 2019-20. The missile is capable of delivering warheads of 40 megatons - 2,000 times as powerful as the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

The missile is likely to have a range of 10,000km allowing Russia to attack London, other European cities as well as America's west and east coasts.

The missile could carry a payload able to 'wipe out UK, France or Texas', defence military television channel Zvezda reported.

The first images of Russia’s largest ever nuclear missile were unveiled in October 2016.

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