Russia has reportedly carried out a successful test of its new nuclear-powered cruise missile, a weapon officials claim has unlimited range and can evade all current missile defense systems.
General Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, informed President Vladimir Putin that the missile—identified as the 9M730 Burevestnik (Storm Petrel)—flew approximately 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) and remained airborne for about 15 hours during a test conducted on Tuesday.
President Putin, appearing in military fatigues in a Kremlin-issued statement, hailed the missile as a breakthrough, describing it as “a unique weapon which nobody else in the world has.” He emphasized that “crucial testing” had been completed and ordered the final steps toward its operational deployment.
The missile, known by NATO as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall, is designed to be nuclear-capable and theoretically capable of global reach due to its nuclear propulsion. Critics, however, note that the weapon raises grave environmental and strategic risks, given its potential to carry nuclear material over extended distances and its unpredictable flight trajectory.
Putin’s announcement came just a day after he oversaw large-scale drills involving Russia’s land, sea, and air-based nuclear forces. “The modernization of our nuclear deterrent is at the highest level,” he declared, framing the test as a signal of Russia’s ongoing military and technological resilience despite international sanctions and the protracted war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine continues to exact a devastating toll on civilians. On the same night as the missile tests, three people were killed and 31 injured, including six children, in a Russian drone strike on Kyiv. Fires broke out in two residential high-rises in the Desnianskyi district, prompting emergency evacuations. Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that a 19-year-old woman and her 46-year-old mother were among the victims.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that seven people, including two children, were hospitalized. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched 101 drones during the attack, with 90 intercepted and destroyed by Ukrainian defenses. Air raid alarms lasted between 60 and 90 minutes before being lifted.
Both Moscow and Kyiv continue to deny targeting civilians. However, independent monitors estimate that tens of thousands of civilians have been killed or injured since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
The test of the Burevestnik underscores Moscow’s intent to showcase nuclear dominance at a time of strategic isolation and military strain in Ukraine. While Putin portrays the weapon as evidence of Russia’s technological edge, analysts warn it may also reflect a shift toward nuclear brinkmanship—a move aimed as much at deterrence and propaganda as at genuine defense capability. The timing of the announcement, alongside fresh civilian casualties in Kyiv, highlights the widening gap between Russia’s pursuit of military prestige and the human cost of its ongoing aggression.
