Moscow Reports Effective Test of Reactor-Driven Burevestnik Weapon

The nation has evaluated the nuclear-powered Burevestnik long-range missile, as stated by the nation's top military official.

"We have launched a prolonged flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it covered a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the maximum," Senior Military Leader the general told the head of state in a public appearance.

The terrain-hugging advanced armament, initially revealed in the past decade, has been described as having a possible global reach and the capability to evade anti-missile technology.

Foreign specialists have earlier expressed skepticism over the missile's strategic value and the nation's statements of having accomplished its evaluation.

The president said that a "final successful test" of the missile had been conducted in 2023, but the claim could not be independently verified. Of at least 13 known tests, merely a pair had moderate achievement since the mid-2010s, based on an disarmament advocacy body.

Gen Gerasimov reported the weapon was in the air for a significant duration during the evaluation on October 21.

He noted the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were assessed and were found to be up to specification, according to a domestic media outlet.

"As a result, it demonstrated advanced abilities to bypass missile and air defence systems," the media source quoted the official as saying.

The projectile's application has been the subject of intense debate in defence and strategic sectors since it was first announced in recent years.

A previous study by a foreign defence research body determined: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would offer Moscow a distinctive armament with worldwide reach potential."

Yet, as an international strategic institute noted the corresponding time, Russia confronts major obstacles in developing a functional system.

"Its induction into the country's inventory arguably hinges not only on resolving the significant development hurdle of ensuring the dependable functioning of the atomic power system," specialists stated.

"There have been several flawed evaluations, and a mishap causing a number of casualties."

A defence publication cited in the study asserts the weapon has a range of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, enabling "the missile to be stationed across the country and still be equipped to strike goals in the American territory."

The identical publication also explains the projectile can travel as close to the ground as 164 to 328 feet above ground, causing complexity for defensive networks to intercept.

The missile, designated a specific moniker by an international defence pact, is considered driven by a nuclear reactor, which is supposed to activate after primary launch mechanisms have sent it into the sky.

An investigation by a news agency last year located a site a considerable distance from the city as the probable deployment area of the missile.

Employing orbital photographs from the recent past, an expert informed the service he had observed multiple firing positions under construction at the site.

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