Russia Reports Effective Trial of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Cruise Missile

Russia has tested the atomic-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile, as stated by the nation's leading commander.

"We have executed a multi-hour flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it traveled a 14,000km distance, which is not the ultimate range," Top Army Official the commander informed President Vladimir Putin in a public appearance.

The low-altitude experimental weapon, originally disclosed in recent years, has been portrayed as having a potentially unlimited range and the ability to evade defensive systems.

Foreign specialists have previously cast doubt over the weapon's military utility and Russian claims of having successfully tested it.

The national leader stated that a "final successful test" of the armament had been held in 2023, but the claim could not be independently verified. Of over a dozen recorded evaluations, just two instances had partial success since the mid-2010s, according to an non-proliferation organization.

The military leader reported the missile was in the atmosphere for 15 hours during the test on 21 October.

He explained the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were assessed and were determined to be meeting requirements, as per a national news agency.

"Therefore, it exhibited advanced abilities to bypass anti-missile and aerial protection," the media source reported the official as saying.

The missile's utility has been the subject of intense debate in defence and strategic sectors since it was originally disclosed in 2018.

A previous study by a American military analysis unit concluded: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would provide the nation a distinctive armament with intercontinental range capability."

Yet, as a global defence think tank commented the corresponding time, the nation confronts major obstacles in achieving operational status.

"Its induction into the state's arsenal likely depends not only on resolving the significant development hurdle of ensuring the reliable performance of the atomic power system," specialists wrote.

"There occurred multiple unsuccessful trials, and an accident leading to a number of casualties."

A defence publication quoted in the analysis states the weapon has a range of between 10,000 and 20,000km, allowing "the projectile to be based throughout the nation and still be equipped to reach targets in the United States mainland."

The corresponding source also explains the weapon can travel as low as 50 to 100 metres above the surface, making it difficult for aerial protection systems to intercept.

The weapon, designated Skyfall by a Western alliance, is thought to be driven by a atomic power source, which is designed to commence operation after initial propulsion units have launched it into the atmosphere.

An examination by a media outlet recently identified a facility 295 miles from the city as the possible firing point of the weapon.

Using satellite imagery from August 2024, an analyst told the outlet he had identified multiple firing positions in development at the facility.

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