Broadcast by Moscow’s defence ministry on Russian state media, the videos include footage of the Poseidon nuclear submarine; a hypersonic guided missile which can be fired into the earth’s atmosphere; and a fighter jet releasing a missile which ignites and accelerates into the distance.
The accelerating missile is called Kinzhai and has been tested at least 12 times, and Russian president Putin has called it an “ideal weapon” which travels at up to 10 times the speed of sound, making it unstoppable for Nato’s defences.
Several Kinzhai missiles can be carried by a Tu-22M3 fighter jet, which increases the missile’s range from 1,200 miles to over 1,800 miles.
Kinzhai missles, which take their name from a type of double-edged dagger, add to growing fears of a nuclear arms race between Russia and the West.
However, US defence officials have downplayed the threat of the new weapons.
US defence secretary James Mattis said: “I saw no change to the Russian military capability and each of these systems that he’s talking about that are still years away, I do not see them changing the military balance.”
Former defence secretary William Perry said the fanfare around these new weapons on the part of the Russian government was mainly for President Putin to contribute to his image both at home and on the world stage.
Mr Putin has consistently pushed back against international pressure for Russia to deescalate their nuclear programmes.
He said: “To those who in the past 15 years have tried to accelerate an arms race and seek unilateral advantage against Russia, have introduced restrictions and sanctions that are illegal from the standpoint of international law aiming to restrain our nation’s development, including in the military area, I will say this: everything you have tried to prevent through such a policy has already happened.
“No one has managed to restrain Russia.”
The US has also expanded their nuclear capabilities.
A Pentagon policy document said: “Our strategy will ensure Russia understands that any use of nuclear weapons, however limited, is unacceptable.”
Both Russia and the US are signed up to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which stated they had to reduce their number of strategic missile launchers by half.