RFE
26 Oct 2025, 16:18 GMT+10
President Vladimir Putin said Russia has successfully tested the nuclear-powered, nuclear-weapon capable Burevestnik cruise missile and is seeking ways to deploy it at a time when the Kremlin's war in Ukraine drags on.
The Kremlin published avideoon October 26 of a meeting between Putin and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, which reportedly took place at a command post of the joint group of forces.
Gerasimov said the test occurred five days earlier, when the missile, which Moscowclaimscannot be detected by any defense system, traveled 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) and was in the air for about 15 hours.
SEE ALSO:
An Arctic Test Of A 'Flying Nuclear Reactor' And Signs Russia Closer To A New Weapon
The missile, dubbed Skyfall by NATO, has been underdevelopmentfor more than a decade. It's one of several new systems Russian designers have focused on as the Kremlin pours money into weapons development as part of a not fully recognized arms race -- mainly against the United States.
"The decisive tests are now complete," Putin said in the video, adding he has ordered the preparation of "infrastructure to put this weapon into service in the Russian armed forces."
The advancement of the project comes after Putin's war on Ukraine entered its 45th month with Russian troops grinding out incremental gains.
Kyiv has been pushing the United States and its Western allies to provide longer-range weapons such at Tomahawk missiles to allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia as it tries to gain an upper hand in the war and strengthen its position in any peace talks, which currently appear to be stalled.
The Burevestnik is powered essentially by a small nuclear reactor built into the engine, theoretically enabling it to stay aloft for days.
The missile has drawn particular attention from arms control and intelligence experts, partly because of the technology but also its past failures.
Putin's announcement comes as the New START treaty, which limits U.S. and Russian nuclear forces to 1,550 strategic warheads and 700 strategic launchers deployed on each side, is set to expire early next year.
SEE ALSO:
Did A Botched Bid To Recover A Sunken Missile Cause The Russian Radiation Blast?
The Russian leader recently offered to voluntarily respect the treaty's limits for one year, a proposal US President Donald Trump said "sounds like a good idea to me.
Abotchedbid to recover a sunken missile -- thought to be a Burevestnik -- caused a radiation blast in a remote area of Russia in 2019, killing five people, documents, photographs, satellite imagery, and other open-source materialsreviewed by RFE/RLappeared to show.
Get a daily dose of Chile Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Chile Sun.
More InformationBUENOS AIRES, Argentina: Argentina's libertarian president, Javier Milei, won big in the October 26 midterm elections, gaining strong...
BOGOTA, Colombia: Colombian President Gustavo Petro said this week that a suspension of U.S. aid would not significantly affect his...
LIMA, Peru: Residents of Lima, Peru's capital, saw more soldiers and police on the streets this week as a state of emergency took effect...
New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI): The upcoming Union budget for the financial year 205-26 (April-March) should revise the sugar...
New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI): Seventy-two per cent of young Indians expect countries of the Global South including India, South...
New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI): England gave their fans exactly the kind of homecoming performance they had been hoping, bouncing...
The weapon is powered by a miniature nuclear reactor, giving it virtually unlimited range at speeds of up to 1,300 km/h Moscow has...
The chipmaker has achieved a milestone in market capitalization as the AI rally picks up steam American tech giant Nvidia has achieved...
New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI): Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), along with IndusInd Bank, on Wednesday unveiled...
Guwahati (Assam) [India], October 29 (ANI): South African captain Laura Wolvaardt tore into the record books with an explosive 169,...
New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI): India is working closely with Thai authorities to repatriate Indian nationals detained in Thailand...
Lithuania is being targeted by Belarus, the Baltic nations president has claimed Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has claimed...
