Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Sunday the successful final test of a new nuclear-powered cruise missile, the Burevestnik, amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and uncertainty over a new summit with US leader Donald Trump.
Missile Details and Capabilities
Putin stated the decisive tests of the Burevestnik are now complete, ordering the preparation of infrastructure to deploy this weapon in the Russian armed forces. The missile, described as a “unique creation that no one else in the world possesses,” has “unlimited range,” according to Putin.
During the last test on 21 October, the missile flew for approximately 15 hours, covering a distance of 14,000 kilometers, with Russia’s military chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, noting that this distance is not the upper limit for the weapon. The Burevestnik is designed to be used with guaranteed precision against highly protected sites located at any distance.
Putin first announced the development of these missiles in 2018, highlighting their ability to evade all defense systems, and against the backdrop of a perceived threat from the United States.
The announcement of the successful final test comes as Russian forces continue to make slow but steady progress in Ukraine, as Russian troops are grinding through Kyiv’s defenses despite costly battles. However, peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv have stalled, despite mediation efforts from Trump, who had promised to quickly end the war upon his return to the White House in January.
International Response and Sanctions
On Wednesday, Trump imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, complaining that his talks with Putin to end the Ukraine war “don’t go anywhere.” On Saturday, Trump played down the prospects of a new summit with Putin, stating that he was “not going to be wasting my time.”
Meanwhile, Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev met with Trump administration officials on Friday and Saturday. A Russian source familiar with the talks told AFP that the discussions are ready to continue on Sunday.
Putin, on the other hand, said on Sunday that he did not want to set a timetable for an end to the fighting, stating, “We are not going to align anything with any dates or events… we will base our actions on military rationality.”
In a separate development, an overnight Russian drone attack on Kyiv killed three people and wounded dozens, according to the mayor of the Ukrainian capital, while a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and wounded one in Russia’s Belgorod region, as reported by the local governor.
