Moscow: Russia says it has successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, claiming it is a one-of-a-kind advanced weapon capable of evading any defence system.
President Vladimir Putin announced while meeting Generals overseeing the war in Ukraine. Putin said the successful test demonstrated that Russia’s advanced weapons technology remains unmatched. “It is a unique weapon which nobody else in the world has,” he told military commanders at the meeting, where he appeared in camouflage fatigues.
Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, reported to Putin that the 9M730 Burevestnik, known to NATO as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall, flew 14,000 kilometres in about 15 hours during a test conducted on October 21. He said the missile was powered by a nuclear reactor, giving it almost unlimited range and the ability to follow unpredictable flight paths designed to bypass missile defence systems.
“The so-called modernity of our nuclear deterrent forces is at the highest level,” Putin said, adding that Russia’s nuclear capability now exceeds that of any other major power.
The timing of the announcement is being viewed as a direct signal to the United States and its allies. It comes as US President Donald Trump has taken a tougher position on Russia while pressing for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Congratulations to all Russia’s friends on the successful test of the unlimited-range Burevestnik (Storm petrel) cruise missile with a nuclear engine and warhead ⚡️😃
— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) October 26, 2025
For Washington, Putin’s message is clear: Russia remains a formidable nuclear force and expects its proposals on arms control to be taken seriously. Putin’s remarks follow reports that the Trump administration has eased restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles supplied by Western partners.
“If Russia is attacked, the response will be very serious, if not overwhelming,” Putin warned earlier in the week. Putin first revealed the Burevestnik project in 2018, presenting it as a response to US missile defence initiatives and the expansion of NATO following Washington’s 2001 withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
He said that some Russian scientists had initially doubted whether such a missile was technically feasible. “I was told at the time it might never be possible,” Putin said, “but now the crucial testing phase has been completed.”
Putin instructed Gerasimov to classify the weapon within Russia’s strategic arsenal and prepare the necessary infrastructure for its deployment. On the battlefield, Gerasimov reported that Russian troops had encircled a large number of Ukrainian soldiers near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region and were making advances in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia.
