Russia Announces Successful Trial of Nuclear-Powered Burevestnik Missile

Moscow has trialed the atomic-propelled Burevestnik long-range missile, according to the state's top military official.

"We have executed a multi-hour flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it traveled a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the ultimate range," Senior Military Leader the commander reported to the head of state in a televised meeting.

The terrain-hugging prototype missile, first announced in recent years, has been described as having a potentially unlimited range and the capacity to bypass anti-missile technology.

Western experts have previously cast doubt over the projectile's tactical importance and Moscow's assertions of having effectively trialed it.

The president said that a "final successful test" of the missile had been held in the previous year, but the assertion lacked outside validation. Of at least 13 known tests, only two had partial success since several years ago, as per an non-proliferation organization.

Gen Gerasimov stated the weapon was in the air for a significant duration during the test on October 21.

He noted the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were assessed and were found to be complying with standards, as per a domestic media outlet.

"As a result, it demonstrated advanced abilities to bypass anti-missile and aerial protection," the news agency quoted the general as saying.

The projectile's application has been the focus of vigorous discussion in military and defence circles since it was initially revealed in the past decade.

A recent analysis by a US Air Force intelligence center stated: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would offer Moscow a distinctive armament with global strike capacity."

Yet, as a global defence think tank noted the corresponding time, the nation encounters significant challenges in developing a functional system.

"Its integration into the country's stockpile likely depends not only on resolving the significant development hurdle of securing the consistent operation of the atomic power system," analysts noted.

"There have been numerous flight-test failures, and an incident resulting in a number of casualties."

A military journal quoted in the analysis claims the weapon has a operational radius of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, allowing "the projectile to be stationed throughout the nation and still be capable to strike objectives in the American territory."

The identical publication also says the projectile can operate as at minimal altitude as a very low elevation above the earth, causing complexity for defensive networks to stop.

The projectile, referred to as Skyfall by a Western alliance, is considered driven by a nuclear reactor, which is intended to engage after primary launch mechanisms have propelled it into the atmosphere.

An investigation by a reporting service recently pinpointed a site 295 miles north of Moscow as the likely launch site of the armament.

Employing space-based photos from last summer, an specialist reported to the service he had observed multiple firing positions in development at the facility.

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