Russia carried out a successful test of its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, President Vladimir Putin announced Sunday, claiming the nuclear-capable weapon can defeat any existing missile defense system. Putin said the test, conducted Tuesday, demonstrated the missile's ability to fly 8,700 miles over 15 hours using nuclear propulsion, Reuters reports. Russian officials describe the Burevestnik, which NATO calls Skyfall, as having an almost unlimited range and an unpredictable flight path, making it difficult to intercept; outside observers have said it might also be difficult to handle. Addressing military commanders, Putin said the weapon was once thought impossible but is now ready for deployment consideration.
Western experts over the years of development have doubted the missile's strategic value and claims of successful tests, per the BBC. Putin said he directed his generals to determine how the missile should be classified and to begin preparing deployment infrastructure. "It is a unique ware which nobody else in the world has," Putin, wearing camouflage fatigues at a meeting with generals about the war on Ukraine, said in remarks released by the Kremlin, per Reuters. The test follows a series of strategic nuclear drills overseen by Putin, including the launch of other intercontinental ballistic and cruise missiles.
Putin framed the Burevestnik as a response to US missile defense initiatives and NATO expansion, referencing the US withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2001. The announcement follows other nuclear messaging from the Kremlin, which has resisted pressure for a ceasefire in Ukraine and warned the US and NATO against sanctioning strikes deep inside Russia with longer-range Western weapons, per the AP.
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