Moscow - Vladimir Putin has asserted that Russia recently conducted a "final successful test" of a nuclear-powered cruise missile. This statement by the Russian president follows the dismissal of a New York Times report suggesting that imminent testing of the Burevestnik missile was on the horizon.
The Burevestnik, an experimental weapon unveiled in 2018, has been touted for its potentially unlimited range. However, official information about its capabilities is limited, and there have been reports of past test failures.
President Putin's statement has not been independently verified, and the Russian defense ministry has not issued any official confirmation. Nevertheless, satellite images from the previous month indicated that Russia had constructed new facilities on the remote Arctic island of Novaya Zemlya, a site previously used for Soviet nuclear tests.
During a live broadcast of a meeting in Sochi, Putin stated, "We have now virtually finished work on modern types of strategic weaponry about which I have spoken and which I announced a few years ago. A final successful test has been held of Burevestnik - a global-range nuclear-powered cruise missile."
The missile, referred to as Skyfall by NATO, is believed to be propelled by a nuclear reactor that activates after solid fuel rocket boosters launch it into the air. However, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, an arms control advocacy group, cited that all 13 previously known tests of the system between 2017 and 2019 were unsuccessful, as reported by The New York Times.
Putin also mentioned that work on an intercontinental ballistic missile named Sarmat was nearly complete. Despite these disclosures, he asserted that Russia had no intentions of altering its nuclear doctrine, which outlines the conditions under which its forces may employ nuclear weapons. He emphasized that Russia's existence was not under threat, and no rational individual would contemplate a nuclear strike against it.
Nonetheless, he suggested that Russia might consider withdrawing its ratification of the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty, citing the United States' signing but never ratifying the treaty as a precedent.
Additionally, during the same meeting in Sochi, Putin addressed the plane crash that claimed the life of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, in August. He asserted that the crash was not the result of external interference like a missile attack and mentioned that the deceased individuals were found to have "hand grenade fragments" in their bodies. Putin called for alcohol and drug tests on the crash victims, although no official report on the cause of the crash has been released.
News Courtesy BBC