This article was first published on April 29, 2025, and has been updated following President Vladimir Putin’s October 26 remarks confirming the completion of tests of Russia’s Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile.
On October 21, Russia successfully tested the Burevestnik – a nuclear-powered, unlimited-range cruise missile capable of evading all existing missile defenses. The test was announced by Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to a Russian Army command post.
According to Gerasimov, the missile completed a multi-hour flight covering 14,000 kilometers, performing all designated vertical and horizontal maneuvers. He stressed that this range is not the limit for the system.
“The technical characteristics of the Burevestnik make it capable of striking highly protected targets at any distance with guaranteed accuracy,” Gerasimov said.
Putin called the missile a “unique product that no one else in the world has,” noting that all key testing objectives have been achieved. He noted 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 said.
With this test, the Burevestnik has moved from the realm of experimental prototypes to a near-operational weapon – and into the global spotlight.
Unexpected question for America’s new shield
Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump launched the ambitious Golden Dome initiative – a sweeping plan to build a national missile defense system capable of shielding America from modern threats: Ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, and advanced cruise missiles. Designed as a next-generation shield, the Golden Dome aspires to close gaps in the nation’s defenses and guarantee security against a broad range of airborne dangers.
But even the most sophisticated defense can face a threat it wasn’t designed to stop. As Washington doubles down on its plans for a new shield, Russia is moving a weapon unlike anything currently in existence – a nuclear-powered cruise missile with unlimited range – from concept to near-reality. And it’s a threat the Golden Dome may struggle to counter.
Russia is edging toward deployment of an entirely new class of cruise missile that could fundamentally alter air-defense paradigms: Nuclear-powered, unlimited-range cruise missiles. The Burevestnik is chief among them.
It’s only logical that US missile defense planners are thinking ahead to such unconventional threats. Open-source intelligence researchers like MT_Anderson have recently shared satellite imagery revealing suspected construction of Burevestnik launch facilities near Vologda. If verified, this would mark the next phase in the deployment of a weapon capable of shaking the foundations of global strategic stability.
Russia first revealed the Burevestnik missile during President Vladimir Putin’s address to the Federal Assembly on March 1, 2018. Dubbed SSC-X-9 Skyfall in the West, the missile has been cloaked in secrecy ever since. The commonly used designation 9M730 Burevestnik is actually a misnomer, as the 9M730 label originally referred to a version of the Iskander-M missile system – but that’s a minor detail in the larger picture.
Reports suggest that Burevestnik testing has been ongoing for years at sites such as Novaya Zemlya, the Nenoksa naval testing range near Severodvinsk, and the Kapustin Yar missile complex – the latter featuring specialized infrastructure operated by Rosatom. As recently as two years ago, it seemed Russia was still far from completing development. Now, however, with an officially confirmed 14,000-km flight and signs of operational launch sites under construction, the program looks markedly further along.
How the Burevestnik works
Visually, the Burevestnik resembles a traditional cruise missile, with folding wings for compact launch storage. It launches from a ground platform using a solid-fuel booster, then switches to an air-breathing nuclear-powered jet engine once it reaches cruising speed. In theory, this engine heats incoming air via a compact nuclear reactor, allowing the missile to stay airborne for weeks or even months without refueling.
Sources estimate the missile’s operational range at 22,000km, though in practice it may be virtually unlimited. Such a missile could patrol potential conflict zones indefinitely, awaiting launch commands. Upon receiving orders, it could maneuver toward targets from unpredictable vectors, making interception extraordinarily difficult.
During the October 21 test, according to Russia’s top brass, the missile remained airborne for several hours, covered 14,000km, and executed vertical and horizontal maneuvers associated with defense evasion profiles.
Effectively, the Burevestnik is designed to serve as a ‘doomsday weapon’ – a guaranteed retaliatory strike platform in the event of nuclear war.
Outflanking defenses
A nuclear-powered cruise missile would be capable of striking anywhere on the globe from any direction. It could exploit satellite communications to update flight paths, evade interception, and even receive new target information mid-flight. Naturally, preventing accidents is critical, but it’s likely that specialized recovery systems – possibly involving parachutes – have been developed.
The ability to safely operate a nuclear-powered engine stems from technological breakthroughs achieved in the 1990s and 2000s, when Russian scientists successfully built compact nuclear reactors. These advancements paved the way not only for the Burevestnik, but also for other projects like the Poseidon underwater drone.
Notably, the US and the Soviet Union both explored nuclear-powered aircraft concepts during the Cold War. Despite extensive research on platforms like the B-36 and Tu-95, both nations ultimately abandoned the projects due to insurmountable engineering challenges, astronomical costs, and radiation safety concerns.
Today, with more advanced reactor technology, Russia seems poised to achieve what Cold War engineers only dreamed of: a practical, nuclear-powered, unlimited-range missile.
Is the Burevestnik ready?
Before the latest test, the question was whether Burevestnik could move beyond prototypes. With a multi-hour, 14,000-km flight now on the record – and Putin’s statement that “all key testing objectives” have been met – the question shifts from if to when it becomes operational. At the same time, Putin cautions that significant work remains before combat alert: Defining its class, refining concepts of use, and building the infrastructure needed for deployment.
According to some reports, Russia could begin fielding Burevestnik missiles as early as 2025-26 – potentially in large numbers. Thanks to their nearly limitless range, these missiles could patrol vast areas, including the Arctic, Siberia, or the Pacific Ocean, remaining invisible to conventional defense systems.
A major challenge for America’s Golden Dome initiative will be detecting and tracking such missiles – no easy task. It would likely require unprecedented coordination with the US Navy and the full use of space-based tracking systems.
Space: The final frontier of missile defense
Ultimately, defeating a weapon like the Burevestnik would demand a fully integrated space-based missile defense component. Satellite tracking, rapid identification of launch zones, and intercept capabilities far beyond current systems would be necessary. Even advanced naval assets like Aegis-equipped ships would face a monumental challenge.
For now, there is no simple solution. And while Washington scrambles to prepare, Moscow holds a major advantage – especially when considering additional next-generation weapons like the Poseidon nuclear drone.
In this high-stakes race, Russia may have already moved the strategic chessboard – and set up a checkmate that America’s Golden Dome might not be able to prevent.