Russia Announces Successful Trial of Nuclear-Powered Burevestnik Missile

Russia has tested the atomic-propelled Burevestnik long-range missile, according to the state's leading commander.

"We have conducted a prolonged flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it traversed a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the limit," Top Army Official the commander told the head of state in a televised meeting.

The low-altitude prototype missile, initially revealed in the past decade, has been hailed as having a potentially unlimited range and the capacity to bypass anti-missile technology.

Foreign specialists have in the past questioned over the weapon's military utility and the nation's statements of having successfully tested it.

The national leader said that a "last accomplished trial" of the armament had been conducted in the previous year, but the claim was not externally confirmed. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, only two had limited accomplishment since several years ago, according to an arms control campaign group.

Gen Gerasimov stated the projectile was in the sky for fifteen hours during the trial on the specified date.

He explained the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were evaluated and were confirmed as meeting requirements, based on a national news agency.

"As a result, it exhibited superior performance to bypass missile and air defence systems," the outlet stated the official as saying.

The projectile's application has been the topic of heated controversy in military and defence circles since it was originally disclosed in recent years.

A recent analysis by a US Air Force intelligence center concluded: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would give Russia a unique weapon with worldwide reach potential."

Yet, as a global defence think tank commented the same year, Moscow faces significant challenges in achieving operational status.

"Its entry into the state's stockpile arguably hinges not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of guaranteeing the consistent operation of the nuclear-propulsion unit," analysts stated.

"There were multiple unsuccessful trials, and a mishap causing multiple fatalities."

A armed forces periodical quoted in the report asserts the weapon has a flight distance of between 10,000 and 20,000km, permitting "the projectile to be based throughout the nation and still be capable to target objectives in the American territory."

The identical publication also notes the projectile can fly as at minimal altitude as a very low elevation above the earth, rendering it challenging for aerial protection systems to intercept.

The missile, referred to as a specific moniker by a Western alliance, is believed to be driven by a nuclear reactor, which is intended to commence operation after primary launch mechanisms have propelled it into the atmosphere.

An examination by a reporting service last year identified a location 475km above the capital as the probable deployment area of the missile.

Utilizing space-based photos from August 2024, an expert informed the outlet he had identified nine horizontal launch pads under construction at the location.

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