Russia Announces Accomplished Evaluation of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Weapon

The nation has evaluated the reactor-driven Burevestnik cruise missile, as stated by the state's senior general.

"We have conducted a extended flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traversed a 14,000km distance, which is not the limit," Top Army Official Valery Gerasimov reported to the head of state in a public appearance.

The low-altitude advanced armament, originally disclosed in recent years, has been hailed as having a possible global reach and the capacity to bypass defensive systems.

International analysts have earlier expressed skepticism over the projectile's tactical importance and Russian claims of having accomplished its evaluation.

The president stated that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the missile had been conducted in the previous year, but the assertion was not externally confirmed. Of at least 13 known tests, only two had moderate achievement since the mid-2010s, based on an non-proliferation organization.

Gen Gerasimov said the weapon was in the atmosphere for a significant duration during the test on the specified date.

He noted the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were tested and were determined to be up to specification, according to a local reporting service.

"Therefore, it displayed advanced abilities to bypass missile and air defence systems," the news agency quoted the general as saying.

The weapon's usefulness has been the subject of intense debate in military and defence circles since it was first announced in 2018.

A recent analysis by a American military analysis unit determined: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would offer Moscow a unique weapon with global strike capacity."

Yet, as an international strategic institute noted the corresponding time, the nation faces considerable difficulties in making the weapon viable.

"Its integration into the country's stockpile arguably hinges not only on surmounting the significant development hurdle of securing the consistent operation of the reactor drive mechanism," analysts noted.

"There were several flawed evaluations, and a mishap leading to a number of casualties."

A defence publication quoted in the study claims the projectile has a operational radius of between 10,000 and 20,000km, allowing "the missile to be deployed throughout the nation and still be equipped to target goals in the United States mainland."

The corresponding source also notes the weapon can travel as low as a very low elevation above the earth, making it difficult for aerial protection systems to stop.

The missile, code-named a specific moniker by a foreign security organization, is believed to be driven by a nuclear reactor, which is supposed to engage after initial propulsion units have launched it into the sky.

An examination by a media outlet the previous year located a location a considerable distance from the city as the possible firing point of the armament.

Using orbital photographs from August 2024, an analyst told the service he had identified several deployment sites under construction at the facility.

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