Russia Announces Accomplished Test of Reactor-Driven Burevestnik Weapon

Russia has tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik long-range missile, according to the nation's senior general.

"We have conducted a extended flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traversed a vast distance, which is not the maximum," Senior Military Leader the commander informed the head of state in a broadcast conference.

The low-flying experimental weapon, initially revealed in the past decade, has been hailed as having a theoretically endless flight path and the capability to avoid missile defences.

Western experts have earlier expressed skepticism over the missile's strategic value and Moscow's assertions of having accomplished its evaluation.

The president stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the missile had been held in the previous year, but the claim was not externally confirmed. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had partial success since 2016, according to an arms control campaign group.

The military leader reported the missile was in the air for fifteen hours during the evaluation on the specified date.

He explained the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were evaluated and were confirmed as meeting requirements, as per a domestic media outlet.

"As a result, it demonstrated high capabilities to evade missile and air defence systems," the outlet reported the official as saying.

The missile's utility has been the topic of vigorous discussion in military and defence circles since it was originally disclosed in 2018.

A previous study by a foreign defence research body stated: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would offer Moscow a distinctive armament with global strike capacity."

Yet, as a global defence think tank commented the corresponding time, the nation faces significant challenges in achieving operational status.

"Its induction into the country's stockpile potentially relies not only on resolving the significant development hurdle of securing the reliable performance of the nuclear-propulsion unit," experts stated.

"There have been multiple unsuccessful trials, and a mishap resulting in several deaths."

A defence publication referenced in the study asserts the projectile has a range of between 10,000 and 20,000km, enabling "the projectile to be based across the country and still be able to reach targets in the continental US."

The same journal also notes the missile can fly as low as 164 to 328 feet above ground, making it difficult for air defences to intercept.

The projectile, code-named an operational name by a Western alliance, is believed to be driven by a nuclear reactor, which is intended to activate after primary launch mechanisms have launched it into the air.

An investigation by a media outlet recently located a facility a considerable distance from the city as the likely launch site of the armament.

Using space-based photos from the recent past, an analyst told the service he had identified several deployment sites under construction at the location.

Related Developments

• Head of State Endorses Revisions to Strategic Guidelines