Russia Confirms Effective Test of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Weapon

Moscow has trialed the atomic-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile, as stated by the country's senior general.

"We have launched a extended flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it covered a vast distance, which is not the maximum," Top Army Official the general informed President Vladimir Putin in a broadcast conference.

The low-altitude prototype missile, originally disclosed in the past decade, has been hailed as having a potentially unlimited range and the capability to bypass defensive systems.

Foreign specialists have previously cast doubt over the projectile's tactical importance and Moscow's assertions of having accomplished its evaluation.

The president declared that a "last accomplished trial" of the weapon had been conducted in last year, but the claim could not be independently verified. Of at least 13 known tests, merely a pair had partial success since several years ago, based on an disarmament advocacy body.

Gen Gerasimov said the projectile was in the air for 15 hours during the evaluation on 21 October.

He noted the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were evaluated and were determined to be up to specification, according to a domestic media outlet.

"As a result, it demonstrated advanced abilities to circumvent defensive networks," the media source reported the commander as saying.

The projectile's application has been the subject of intense debate in armed forces and security communities since it was originally disclosed in the past decade.

A previous study by a US Air Force intelligence center determined: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would offer Moscow a distinctive armament with intercontinental range capability."

However, as a global defence think tank noted the identical period, the nation faces considerable difficulties in developing a functional system.

"Its entry into the state's stockpile likely depends not only on overcoming the substantial engineering obstacle of guaranteeing the consistent operation of the nuclear-propulsion unit," analysts noted.

"There occurred several flawed evaluations, and a mishap resulting in several deaths."

A military journal referenced in the analysis asserts the weapon has a operational radius of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, permitting "the projectile to be stationed throughout the nation and still be equipped to reach targets in the American territory."

The corresponding source also notes the projectile can fly as close to the ground as 50 to 100 metres above the surface, rendering it challenging for air defences to intercept.

The projectile, designated a specific moniker by an international defence pact, is thought to be propelled by a reactor system, which is designed to commence operation after initial propulsion units have sent it into the atmosphere.

An inquiry by a reporting service last year identified a facility a considerable distance above the capital as the likely launch site of the weapon.

Utilizing space-based photos from August 2024, an expert informed the agency he had identified several deployment sites being built at the location.

Connected News

• Head of State Endorses Amendments to Atomic Policy