Putin Announces Deployment of New Nuclear Missile After Test Success

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that the country’s new nuclear-capable cruise missile, known as the Burevestnik, is ready for deployment following a successful test. In a video released on Sunday, Putin appeared in military fatigues, instructing his top military officials to prepare the missile for potential operational use.

During the announcement, Putin called on Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff of Russia’s armed forces, to evaluate the “possible uses” of the missile and to establish the necessary infrastructure for its deployment. He emphasized the importance of readiness, stating, “We need to determine the possible uses and begin preparing the infrastructure for deploying these weapons to our armed forces.”

Details surrounding the Burevestnik missile remain limited, although it has been assigned the NATO code name Skyfall. Putin has described it as an “invincible” weapon that can evade all existing and future missile defense systems. He highlighted its purported capabilities, asserting that it possesses a near-unlimited range and an unpredictable flight trajectory, making it exceedingly difficult to intercept.

According to Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special envoy, the recent test demonstrated the missile’s ability to fly for approximately 15 hours and cover around 8,700 miles. This range indicates that it could easily reach major U.S. cities such as New York City or Washington, D.C.

The announcement follows a series of nuclear drills ordered by Putin earlier in the week, which reportedly included practice launches of Russia’s extensive nuclear-capable missile fleet, the largest in the world. The Kremlin claimed these exercises incorporated all components of its nuclear triad, including intercontinental ballistic missiles and Tu-95 strategic bombers.

Putin has previously signaled a willingness to use nuclear weapons against any nation that he views as supported by a nuclear power, presenting a clear message to NATO and the United States regarding their assistance to Ukraine.

Despite the Kremlin’s confident assertions about the Burevestnik, experts remain skeptical about the missile’s capabilities. The Nuclear Threat Initiative, an advocacy group monitoring nuclear technologies, has noted that the Burevestnik has a questionable testing history, with only two partial successes out of 13 documented tests. Concerns have also been raised following a 2019 explosion during tests at a naval base in the White Sea, which resulted in the deaths of five nuclear engineers and two military personnel.

The recent missile test has been communicated to the Trump administration, as noted by Dmitriev, indicating that U.S. officials are now aware of Russia’s advancements in this area. As the geopolitical landscape continues to evolve, the implications of such developments remain significant for international security and stability.