Russia Confirms Successful Evaluation of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Cruise Missile

Russia has tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik long-range missile, as reported by the nation's leading commander.

"We have executed a prolonged flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it covered a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the limit," Senior Military Leader the commander reported to President Vladimir Putin in a televised meeting.

The low-flying prototype missile, initially revealed in the past decade, has been portrayed as having a possible global reach and the capacity to bypass defensive systems.

International analysts have in the past questioned over the missile's strategic value and Russian claims of having accomplished its evaluation.

The national leader stated that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the weapon had been carried out in last year, but the statement was not externally confirmed. Of over a dozen recorded evaluations, merely a pair had limited accomplishment since 2016, based on an disarmament advocacy body.

Gen Gerasimov reported the projectile was in the atmosphere for 15 hours during the trial on the specified date.

He said the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were assessed and were found to be complying with standards, according to a national news agency.

"Therefore, it displayed advanced abilities to bypass anti-missile and aerial protection," the outlet stated the commander as saying.

The projectile's application has been the focus of heated controversy in defence and strategic sectors since it was originally disclosed in recent years.

A recent analysis by a foreign defence research body determined: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would give Russia a unique weapon with worldwide reach potential."

Nonetheless, as a global defence think tank observed the corresponding time, Russia encounters major obstacles in making the weapon viable.

"Its entry into the state's stockpile likely depends not only on resolving the considerable technical challenge of ensuring the reliable performance of the atomic power system," specialists wrote.

"There have been multiple unsuccessful trials, and an accident causing multiple fatalities."

A armed forces periodical quoted in the analysis asserts the projectile has a range of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, enabling "the projectile to be stationed across the country and still be capable to strike goals in the American territory."

The same journal also says the projectile can travel as at minimal altitude as 50 to 100 metres above the surface, rendering it challenging for defensive networks to stop.

The missile, designated Skyfall by an international defence pact, is considered driven by a reactor system, which is supposed to commence operation after primary launch mechanisms have sent it into the air.

An examination by a news agency the previous year identified a location 475km above the capital as the likely launch site of the missile.

Utilizing satellite imagery from August 2024, an expert informed the agency he had identified several deployment sites in development at the site.

Related Developments

• National Leader Approves Revisions to Strategic Guidelines