Russia has tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile as part of its efforts to modernise its nuclear forces, and President Vladimir Putin has hailed the launch just days after his claim that the fighting in Ukraine is nearing an end. “This is the most powerful missile in the world,” Putin said of the Sarmat missile on Tuesday, adding that the combined power of its individually targeted warheads is more than four times that of any of its Western counterparts. Putin said the nuclear-armed Sarmat missile will enter combat service at the end of the year. It has been built to replace the ageing Soviet-built Voyevoda. What is the Sarmat? The RS-28 Sarmat, called “Satan II” in the West, is an intercontinental ballistic missile – a land-based guided missile designed for the delivery of nuclear weapons with a minimum range of 5,500km (about 3,400 miles).…