Moscow Announces Accomplished Evaluation of Nuclear-Powered Burevestnik Weapon

The nation has evaluated the atomic-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile, as stated by the nation's senior general.

"We have launched a prolonged flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traversed a 14,000km distance, which is not the limit," Senior Military Leader the commander told the Russian leader in a public appearance.

The low-flying experimental weapon, initially revealed in recent years, has been described as having a potentially unlimited range and the capacity to evade defensive systems.

Western experts have earlier expressed skepticism over the missile's strategic value and Moscow's assertions of having effectively trialed it.

The president stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the missile had been held in the previous year, but the claim could not be independently verified. Of over a dozen recorded evaluations, just two instances had moderate achievement since the mid-2010s, based on an non-proliferation organization.

Gen Gerasimov stated the missile was in the sky for 15 hours during the evaluation on October 21.

He explained the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were evaluated and were determined to be up to specification, based on a domestic media outlet.

"Consequently, it demonstrated advanced abilities to evade missile and air defence systems," the outlet quoted the commander as saying.

The weapon's usefulness has been the subject of heated controversy in defence and strategic sectors since it was originally disclosed in recent years.

A 2021 report by a foreign defence research body determined: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would offer Moscow a distinctive armament with intercontinental range capability."

However, as a global defence think tank observed the identical period, Moscow confronts major obstacles in making the weapon viable.

"Its integration into the state's inventory arguably hinges not only on surmounting the substantial engineering obstacle of guaranteeing the consistent operation of the nuclear-propulsion unit," analysts stated.

"There were several flawed evaluations, and an accident leading to several deaths."

A military journal quoted in the study states the weapon has a range of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, allowing "the projectile to be deployed across the country and still be capable to reach targets in the United States mainland."

The corresponding source also notes the missile can travel as low as 164 to 328 feet above ground, causing complexity for aerial protection systems to engage.

The projectile, referred to as Skyfall by an international defence pact, is thought to be powered by a nuclear reactor, which is supposed to engage after solid fuel rocket boosters have launched it into the sky.

An investigation by a media outlet last year identified a location 475km from the city as the probable deployment area of the weapon.

Utilizing satellite imagery from August 2024, an expert told the service he had observed several deployment sites under construction at the location.

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