Key points
- Kremlin releases footage of Putin’s briefing with senior generals
- Russia says new Burevestnik missile can fly thousands of kilometres at low altitude
- US and Western experts view the test as strategic signalling amid global tensions
- Announcement raises concerns over a potential new nuclear arms race
MOSCOW: Russia on Saturday released footage of President Vladimir Putin meeting senior military officers, wherein he announced a successful Russian nuclear-capable cruise missile test.
The Russian President described the missile named Burevestnik as ‘invincible’, according to the Kremlin Press Service and Russian state media.
In the footage first published by the Kremlin Press Service and carried by state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti, Putin appeared in a camouflage uniform as he received a detailed technical briefing from General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff. The meeting, held at a Russian military command post, was stated to have taken place on October 26, while the missile test itself occurred on October 21, 2025.
“It is a unique weapon that nobody else in the world has,” Putin was quoted as saying by Reuters and Bloomberg, citing remarks distributed by the Kremlin.
According to Gerasimov’s presentation, the missile — officially named 9M730 Burevestnik, which means “Storm Petrel” in Russian — flew for about 15 hours over a distance of more than 14,000 kilometres. Analysts say the missile’s nuclear-powered engine enables it to stay airborne far longer than conventional cruise missiles, making it capable of evading enemy radar systems.
A cruise missile is a type of guided weapon that flies at low altitudes and can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. Unlike ballistic missiles, which travel through space in a high arc, cruise missiles remain within the Earth’s atmosphere, making them harder to detect.
The test marks the first public confirmation of the Burevestnik’s operational progress since it was first revealed by Putin in 2018. At that time, the missile was described as part of Russia’s new generation of “invincible” strategic weapons designed to counter Western missile defences.
Western governments, including the United States, have not independently verified the test. A Pentagon spokesperson told AP News that Washington was aware of Russia’s claims but “could not confirm the launch parameters or success of the test.”
France’s Le Monde and Britain’s BBC both noted that the timing of the announcement coincides with the increasing nuclear rhetoric between Moscow and NATO. At the same time, while China’s Global Times described the test as a “demonstration of strategic balance” aimed at ensuring deterrence rather than aggression.
The Burevestnik is believed to carry a small nuclear reactor to power its propulsion system — a design that, while dramatically extending range, also raises environmental and safety concerns. Western experts have compared it to the Cold War-era American “Project Pluto,” a 1960s attempt to build a similar nuclear-powered cruise missile, which was ultimately abandoned due to radiation risks.
Putin’s statement comes days after Russia conducted a readiness exercise of its nuclear triad — land, sea, and air-based nuclear forces — observed personally by the president. Together, these moves are viewed as part of Moscow’s effort to signal its strategic strength amid ongoing geopolitical tensions over Ukraine and NATO expansion.
While Russian media hailed the test as a technological breakthrough, Western analysts cautioned that “proof of success” remains unclear. Independent military expert Pavel Luzin told BBC Russian Service that “the Kremlin’s message is less about technology and more about political deterrence.”
