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Russia has announced successful tests of two cutting-edge nuclear-powered weapons systems, the Burevestnik cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater drone, which experts say could fundamentally alter the global balance of power and force NATO into unsustainable defence spending.
In a speech delivered during a visit to a military hospital in Moscow, Putin highlighted the Burevestnik’s recent test flight, where the missile covered over 14,000 kilometres, powered by a nuclear turbojet engine that is 1,000 times smaller than a submarine reactor but matches its output.
The Burevestnik missile can fly indefinitely, for months, circling the globe until ordered in, according to some sources. It has a nuclear warhead of up to one megaton. The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 had an explosive yield of approximately 0.015 megatons.
He described the engine’s rapid startup, in minutes or seconds, as a ”giant achievement,” with potential civilian applications such as in the lunar space programs.
The Burevestnik, first unveiled in 2018, is designed for unlimited range, allowing it to evade enemy air defences through unpredictable trajectories and low-altitude flight (25-100 meters altitude).
The Poseidon, a massive torpedo-shaped unmanned underwater vehicle, also underwent a landmark test this week, marking the first launch from a carrier submarine with its nuclear propulsion system activated.
Putin emphasised its unrivalled speed, depth, and nuclear payload yield, which surpasses that of Russia’s Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, making it nearly impossible for other nations to replicate it soon.
Powered by a nuclear reactor, the Poseidon can operate indefinitely at extreme depths, reaching any point in the world’s oceans and rendering it invulnerable to current missile-defence systems.
Military experts have hailed these developments as game-changers. Evgeny Mikhailov, a military analyst speaking to Sputnik, noted that many international experts previously deemed the Burevestnik impossible to build in the near term, yet Russia has now achieved it.
”What makes [the Poseidon] unique is that it represents a completely new generation of strategic weaponry,” Mikhailov said, adding that both systems have ”definitely changed the existing balance of power.”
The Burevestnik’s strategic edge lies in its mobility and stealth. Deployed from mobile ground-based launchers, such as modified Iskander systems capable of carrying multiple missiles, it allows launches from arbitrary sites across Russia, complicating detection by satellite reconnaissance.
During its latest test, the missile executed vertical and horizontal manoeuvres to dodge defences, flying below radar horizons with a small radar cross-section.
Analyst Alexei Leonkov described the launch as ”sudden” and following an ”unknown trajectory,” noting that NATO failed to detect or report the 14,000 km flight.
Experts warn that countering the Burevestnik could prove financially ruinous for NATO. Dmitry Stefanovich, a fellow at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), explained that its unlimited range enables it to bypass air defence zones entirely, approaching targets from any vector and distinguishing it from ballistic threats.
Leonkov characterised it as a ”doomsday weapon” ensuring retaliation against surprise aggression, developed in response to the U.S. withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
Defending against it would require massive investments in upgraded detection and interception systems, potentially bankrupting the alliance through escalated spending.
These announcements come amid Russia’s ongoing military operations in Ukraine, where Putin also discussed frontline advances and met with wounded servicemen.
While the weapons underscore Russia’s push for nuclear deterrence superiority, their deployment raises questions about arms control and global stability, with no immediate Western response reported.
Sources
- Sputnik International: Burevestnik Cruise Missile and Poseidon Have Changed the Balance of Power – Military Expert
- Sputnik International: Russia’s Secret Weapon: How Burevestnik Cruise Missile Could Force NATO to Spend Itself Into Bankruptcy
- Sputnik International: Russia’s Unique Burevestnik Missile: Infographic
- RT: Russia tests nuclear-capable underwater drone
- RT: Nuclear-powered missile, underwater drone, and proposed pause in Ukraine conflict: Key takeaways from Putin’s speech
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