Russia Reports Accomplished Test of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Weapon

Moscow has trialed the nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, according to the nation's leading commander.

"We have executed a prolonged flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it traversed a vast distance, which is not the limit," Senior Military Leader the commander informed the head of state in a public appearance.

The low-flying advanced armament, initially revealed in the past decade, has been hailed as having a potentially unlimited range and the ability to evade anti-missile technology.

Western experts have previously cast doubt over the projectile's tactical importance and the nation's statements of having effectively trialed it.

The president said that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the armament had been carried out in the previous year, but the claim could not be independently verified. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, only two had moderate achievement since several years ago, as per an disarmament advocacy body.

The general reported the weapon was in the air for a significant duration during the trial on October 21.

He noted the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were tested and were confirmed as up to specification, according to a domestic media outlet.

"Therefore, it exhibited advanced abilities to circumvent missile and air defence systems," the outlet reported the official as saying.

The missile's utility has been the topic of vigorous discussion in defence and strategic sectors since it was initially revealed in the past decade.

A 2021 report by a foreign defence research body concluded: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would give Russia a singular system with global strike capacity."

Nonetheless, as a global defence think tank noted the same year, Russia encounters considerable difficulties in making the weapon viable.

"Its entry into the country's arsenal likely depends not only on resolving the considerable technical challenge of guaranteeing the consistent operation of the reactor drive mechanism," specialists noted.

"There occurred numerous flight-test failures, and a mishap leading to multiple fatalities."

A defence publication quoted in the analysis asserts the missile has a range of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, permitting "the missile to be deployed anywhere in Russia and still be able to reach objectives in the continental US."

The identical publication also says the weapon can travel as close to the ground as 164 to 328 feet above the surface, rendering it challenging for defensive networks to engage.

The projectile, code-named an operational name by a foreign security organization, is believed to be powered by a nuclear reactor, which is designed to activate after initial propulsion units have launched it into the atmosphere.

An investigation by a media outlet the previous year located a location 295 miles from the city as the probable deployment area of the missile.

Employing space-based photos from August 2024, an expert told the outlet he had observed several deployment sites under construction at the site.

Connected News

• Head of State Endorses Modifications to Atomic Policy