Russia has successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, a weapon President Vladimir Putin has long touted as capable of breaching any defense system, marking a significant escalation in Moscow’s strategic deterrence posture amid heightened tensions with the West over the war in Ukraine.
Putin announced the development on Sunday, saying the test which took place on October 21 confirmed the missile’s unprecedented endurance and range, paving the way for deployment preparations.
“The Burevestnik is a unique weapon which nobody else in the world has,” Putin said, dressed in camouflage fatigues during a meeting with senior generals overseeing the Ukraine campaign. “Its crucial testing has been concluded successfully.”
According to Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, the Burevestnik known by NATO as the SSC-X-9 “Skyfall” flew 8,700 miles and remained airborne for roughly 15 hours during its test flight. He described it as operating on nuclear power and capable of defeating “any anti-missile defenses.”
Russian officials say the missile’s nuclear propulsion system grants it an almost unlimited range and an unpredictable flight path, allowing it to bypass existing and future missile defense networks. Putin first unveiled the 9M730 Burevestnik in 2018, presenting it as part of a new generation of strategic weapons developed in response to the U.S. withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and NATO’s subsequent expansion.
The timing of the announcement following a large-scale nuclear drill and coinciding with a toughened stance by U.S. President Donald Trump underscores the Kremlin’s intent to project strength and resilience.
Putin’s remarks came days after The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration had lifted restrictions on Ukraine’s use of certain long-range Western-supplied missiles. The move, according to Moscow, opens the possibility of Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory.
“If Russia is attacked, the response will be very serious, if not overwhelming,” Putin warned on October 23, echoing earlier statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov that Russia would not tolerate Western “escalation.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Russia’s missile announcement.
For Trump who has publicly called Russia a “paper tiger” for its drawn-out invasion of Ukraine the test serves as a reminder that Moscow remains a formidable nuclear power. Analysts say Putin’s message is both a deterrent and an invitation: Russia is open to arms control talks, but only from a position of parity.
The Burevestnik test came just a day after Putin personally oversaw a strategic nuclear exercise involving Russia’s land, sea, and air forces. Gerasimov said the drills included the launch of Yars and Sineva intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as two Kh-102 air-launched cruise missiles, simulating a coordinated nuclear response scenario.
“The modernity of our nuclear deterrent forces is at the highest level higher than any other nuclear power,” Putin declared at the command center, emphasizing Russia’s readiness and technological edge.
On the battlefield, Gerasimov reported that Russian forces had encircled large numbers of Ukrainian troops near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region and were advancing in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia.
The Kremlin’s twin demonstrations nuclear and conventional come as Western intelligence sharing with Kyiv expands, and as pressure mounts on both Moscow and Washington to negotiate a ceasefire.
For military analysts, the Burevestnik test underscores a dangerous new phase in global arms competition. With its nuclear propulsion and near-limitless range, the weapon blurs the line between deterrence and provocation a reminder that Russia’s strategic capabilities are evolving faster than the diplomatic channels meant to contain them.
As Putin moves forward with plans to classify and deploy the Burevestnik, he has made clear that Moscow’s strategic message is unwavering: Russia will not bow to Western pressure militarily, economically, or politically.