Russia Reports Accomplished Test of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Missile

Russia has tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik long-range missile, according to the nation's senior general.

"We have conducted a multi-hour flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it covered a 14,000km distance, which is not the maximum," Senior Military Leader Valery Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin in a broadcast conference.

The low-altitude advanced armament, originally disclosed in the past decade, has been hailed as having a potentially unlimited range and the ability to evade defensive systems.

Foreign specialists have previously cast doubt over the missile's strategic value and Moscow's assertions of having successfully tested it.

The head of state said that a "last accomplished trial" of the missile had been conducted in 2023, but the statement was not externally confirmed. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, just two instances had partial success since 2016, as per an non-proliferation organization.

Gen Gerasimov stated the weapon was in the air for a significant duration during the test on the specified date.

He explained the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were assessed and were determined to be complying with standards, according to a local reporting service.

"Consequently, it displayed superior performance to circumvent defensive networks," the news agency quoted the official as saying.

The weapon's usefulness has been the subject of heated controversy in defence and strategic sectors since it was originally disclosed in 2018.

A 2021 report by a foreign defence research body stated: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would provide the nation a unique weapon with worldwide reach potential."

Nonetheless, as a foreign policy research organization observed the corresponding time, Moscow confronts significant challenges in developing a functional system.

"Its induction into the state's inventory arguably hinges not only on resolving the significant development hurdle of securing the dependable functioning of the reactor drive mechanism," experts stated.

"There occurred multiple unsuccessful trials, and an incident resulting in a number of casualties."

A defence publication referenced in the analysis states the weapon has a operational radius of between 10,000 and 20,000km, enabling "the missile to be deployed throughout the nation and still be able to reach targets in the American territory."

The same journal also notes the missile can travel as low as 164 to 328 feet above the surface, making it difficult for aerial protection systems to stop.

The weapon, designated Skyfall by a Western alliance, is considered propelled by a atomic power source, which is intended to engage after solid fuel rocket boosters have propelled it into the air.

An examination by a reporting service last year identified a location 475km from the city as the possible firing point of the missile.

Using space-based photos from last summer, an analyst reported to the service he had detected nine horizontal launch pads in development at the location.

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