Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday announced the successful final test of the country’s new nuclear-powered cruise missile, Burevestnik, declaring that the weapon has the capability to strike any target across the globe — a major development in Moscow’s expanding strategic arsenal amid its ongoing war in Ukraine.
“The decisive tests are now complete,” Putin said in a video released by the Kremlin during a meeting with senior military officials.
He further directed the Russian military to begin immediate preparations for the deployment of the missile, saying he had ordered the construction of “infrastructure to put this weapon into service in the Russian armed forces.”
Putin described the Burevestnik as a revolutionary advancement in global weaponry. “It’s a unique creation that no one else in the world possesses,” he declared, adding that the missile possesses an “unlimited range.”
According to Russia’s Chief of General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, the missile’s most recent test on October 21 demonstrated extraordinary endurance and range. “During the last test, the missile flew for some 15 hours, travelling 14,000 kilometres (8,700 miles),” he revealed, emphasizing that “this was not the upper limit for the weapon.”
Gerasimov added that the Burevestnik was designed for extreme precision and resilience. “The technical characteristics of the Burevestnik allow it to be used with guaranteed precision against highly protected sites located at any distance,” he said.
Putin first unveiled the missile project in 2018, boasting that it could evade all existing defence systems. The latest announcement comes seven years later, as Russian forces continue their grinding advance through Ukrainian territory in the face of fierce resistance.
Peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv have largely stalled, despite intermittent mediation attempts from U.S. President Donald Trump, who had pledged to end the conflict “quickly” should he return to the White House in January.
Tensions between the two leaders have escalated in recent days. Trump last week imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, saying his talks with Putin to end the war “don’t go anywhere.”
On Saturday, Trump downplayed the possibility of a new summit with the Russian leader, stating bluntly that he was“not going to be wasting my time.”
Despite reports that Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev had met with Trump administration officials in Washington on Friday and Saturday to continue informal discussions, Putin signaled no rush for a ceasefire.
“We are not going to align anything with any dates or events… we will base our actions on military rationality,” Putin said, insisting that Russia’s campaign would proceed according to its own strategic timeline.
Meanwhile, the conflict’s toll continues to rise. In Kyiv, an overnight Russian drone strike killed three people and left dozens injured, according to the city’s mayor. In retaliation, a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Belgorod region killed one person and wounded another, local officials reported.
The successful Burevestnik test, coupled with intensifying hostilities on both sides, underscores the increasingly volatile balance of power between Russia and the West — and raises new fears about the return of a nuclear-era arms race.
