Putin asserts that Russia tested a nuclear missile with an indefinite range

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a warning that the Duma may reverse its approval of a treaty prohibiting nuclear testing after Russia successfully tested an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile this week.

In the event that Russia’s adversaries strike the nation, “such a number of our missiles – hundreds, hundreds – would appear in the air that not a single enemy would have a chance of survival,” Putin reiterated his warning.

Putin spoke before a gathering of foreign policy professionals. Russia has finished developing the Burevestnik cruise missile and the Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, he told the panel, and will soon begin manufacturing them.

According to Putin, the Burevestnik nuclear-powered global-range cruise missile had its last successful test. His announcement marked the first report of the Burevestnik, or “Storm Petrel,” test being successful. Putin reportedly made the first reference to it in 2018 according to the Associated Press.

Putin cautioned that because the US had not accepted the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, it may “mirror the stand taken by the US”.

He said, “Theoretically, we may revoke the ratification.”

There is no circumstance under which the survival of the Russian state or Russian statehood would be in danger. Regarding the concept of using nuclear weapons against Russia, I believe that no individual with a clear head and memory could have such an idea, said Putin in response to a question about Russian nuclear policy.

The Burevestnik is known to NATO as Skyfall. Even while Western specialists are dubious about the dependability of its nuclear engine, the Burevestnik is reported to be able to remain in the air for a lot longer than other missiles and go a lot further.

It is said to be capable of transporting both nuclear and conventional warheads.

In 2018, Putin provided a sneak glimpse at the weapon and said that Russia is developing a missile with an unrestricted range that would enable it to circumnavigate the globe without being detected by missile defense systems.

Scientists from both Russia and the United States had experimented on nuclear-powered rocket engines during the Cold War, but experiments were abandoned out of concern over environmental risks.

According to a story from the Associated Press, the Burevestnik allegedly exploded in August 2019 while being tested at a Russian military range on the White Sea, killing five nuclear engineers and two troops and causing a temporary surge in radiation that stoked worries in a neighboring city.

The article made note of the fact that Russia is constructing facilities for Burevestnik testing in the Arctic Novaya Zemlya archipelago, where the Soviet Union last conducted nuclear weapons testing.