Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a visit to a headquarters on the Ukraine front this morning, where Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, not only briefed him on the situation on the line of contact, but also on an Oct. 21 flight test of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile. The missile completed a multi-hour flight that covered 14,000 km, though he stressed that this is not the range limit for the Burevestnik. “The technical characteristics of the Burevestnik missile make it capable of striking highly protected targets at any distance with guaranteed accuracy,” Gerasimov stated, RT quoted him as saying. “During the test flight, the missile successfully performed all designated vertical and horizontal maneuvers, demonstrating its strong ability to evade anti-missile and air defense systems.”
The Burevestnik is a nuclear-powered, unlimited-range strategic cruise missile, designed to destroy high-value targets, including fortified bunkers, reports RT. The Russians say that it is undetectable by conventional radar, and can only be tracked by specialized spacecraft during the launch and acceleration phases.
Speaking to Gerasimov, Putin said that the Burevestnik is a “unique product that no one else in the world has,” while stressing that “much work” remains before it can be placed on combat alert. “We will need to more thoroughly define what class of weapon this new system belongs to, determine possible methods of use, and begin preparing the infrastructure for its deployment within our armed forces,” Putin declared. He added that all key testing objectives for the missile have now been achieved.
