Russia Confirms Effective Test of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Cruise Missile

Russia has tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik strategic weapon, according to the country's senior general.

"We have conducted a prolonged flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it covered a 14,000km distance, which is not the limit," Chief of General Staff the commander reported to President Vladimir Putin in a public appearance.

The low-flying experimental weapon, first announced in recent years, has been portrayed as having a possible global reach and the capability to avoid defensive systems.

Foreign specialists have earlier expressed skepticism over the weapon's military utility and the nation's statements of having effectively trialed it.

The head of state stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the missile had been conducted in 2023, but the statement could not be independently verified. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, only two had moderate achievement since the mid-2010s, based on an disarmament advocacy body.

The general stated the weapon was in the air for 15 hours during the evaluation on the specified date.

He noted the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were evaluated and were confirmed as complying with standards, based on a domestic media outlet.

"As a result, it exhibited superior performance to evade anti-missile and aerial protection," the news agency stated the commander as saying.

The projectile's application has been the subject of vigorous discussion in military and defence circles since it was initially revealed in recent years.

A 2021 report by a US Air Force intelligence center stated: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would provide the nation a singular system with global strike capacity."

However, as an international strategic institute noted the corresponding time, the nation encounters considerable difficulties in developing a functional system.

"Its integration into the nation's arsenal potentially relies not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of guaranteeing the consistent operation of the nuclear-propulsion unit," analysts wrote.

"There have been several flawed evaluations, and an incident resulting in multiple fatalities."

A defence publication quoted in the study claims the weapon has a flight distance of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, allowing "the projectile to be stationed throughout the nation and still be equipped to target objectives in the continental US."

The corresponding source also notes the missile can fly as close to the ground as 50 to 100 metres above the surface, causing complexity for aerial protection systems to intercept.

The weapon, designated Skyfall by a foreign security organization, is believed to be driven by a nuclear reactor, which is designed to activate after primary launch mechanisms have propelled it into the atmosphere.

An investigation by a news agency last year pinpointed a facility 475km from the city as the likely launch site of the missile.

Using space-based photos from the recent past, an expert informed the outlet he had observed multiple firing positions under construction at the site.

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