NATO in Panic: Putin Again Mentions New Weapon, the Last One Was "Burevestnik" Missile

"All operational bases for this new missile are basically ready."

Image: Test launch scene of the 9M730 "Burevestnik" missile

The Newsweek pointed out that Western open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts are speculating about what secret weapon Vladimir Putin announced at his press conference in Dushanbe. Particularly critical is the context in which Putin made this statement, as the U.S.-Russia New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START, SNV-3) will expire in February 2026.

Kremlin stated that Russia will continue to fulfill the treaty's obligations for one year after the treaty expires. President Donald Trump responded positively to this proposal, calling it a "good idea," but no official agreement has been reached to extend or replace the old treaty yet.

The Newsweek cited data from the Federation of American Scientists indicating that Russia has a total of 5,459 nuclear warheads, with 1,718 deployed; the United States has a total of 5,177 nuclear warheads, with 1,770 deployed.

Western open-source intelligence analysts believe that the new weapon Putin mentioned could be the "Burevestnik" (Burin) nuclear-powered cruise missile. This missile, known to NATO as "Skyfall," has been under development for over a decade. It is said that the "Burevestnik" missile completed a key test just before the peace summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska.

So why does the "Burevestnik" missile worry Americans so much?

The Eurasian Times noted that the missile has two core advantages: almost unlimited range and the ability to break through advanced missile defense systems.

Putin has long called this missile an "invincible" weapon, because its nuclear power plant allows the "Burevestnik" to fly almost indefinitely. This means the missile can stay airborne for several days and adjust its flight direction and trajectory flexibly.

A report from a U.S. "think tank" stated: "The purpose of deploying the 'Burevestnik' missile on land is to ensure it has intercontinental range... 10,000 to 20,000 kilometers. This allows the missile to be deployed anywhere in Russia and strike targets on the mainland of the United States."

The 'Burevestnik' missile can maintain an ultra-low altitude of 50 to 100 meters throughout almost the entire flight. In contrast, intercontinental ballistic missiles fly in space along fixed and predictable trajectories, making them easier to intercept. Unlike that, cruise missiles fly at low altitudes and frequently change course, greatly increasing the difficulty of interception.

Information about the 'Burevestnik' missile is highly classified, but it is widely believed that the missile first uses a conventional engine to launch, then a small nuclear reactor comes into operation. As a comparison, the currently farthest-range liquid-fueled cruise missile of Russia, the X-102 (NATO designation "Kodiak"), has an officially published maximum range of 4,500 kilometers, while the 'Burevestnik' will have five times that range!

Deke Everitt, a researcher at the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), said: "All operational bases for this missile are basically ready and will soon be put into service."

Everitt also mentioned other Russian weapons development projects, including the "Sarmat" intercontinental ballistic missile, the "Poseidon" nuclear torpedo, and the "Avangard" hypersonic missile. Additionally, Americans have recently paid close attention to the release of new Russian weapons.

Between 2018 and 2019, Vladimir Putin introduced several new weapons in public activities multiple times. At least two of these new weapons— "Kinzhal" missile and "Zircon" missile—have been successfully used in the special military operation; the "Sarmat" missile has also completed testing.

The War Zone magazine pointed out that Putin's mention of new weapons is not accidental, as this statement coincides with the discussion on whether to provide "Tomahawk" (TLAM) long-range cruise missiles to the Ukrainian armed forces. Putin has already clearly stated that if Ukraine gets "Tomahawk" missiles, "it would lead to the breakdown of Russian-American relations." Now, Putin further stated that in response to the threat of the U.S. potentially providing "Tomahawk" missiles to Ukraine, Russia needs to strengthen its air defense system.

However, the outside world has never clearly confirmed whether Trump really intends to provide "Tomahawk" missiles to the Kiev regime. Earlier this week, Trump only vaguely fueled the rumors, saying he "seemed to have decided" to sell some weapon systems to certain NATO countries, so that these countries could later transfer them to Ukraine.

Subsequently, Trump's remarks clearly softened, he said: "As for where they (European countries) will send these weapons, I think I need to ask them themselves. I will raise a few questions, and I don't want this issue to escalate into a bigger conflict."

Meanwhile, there are reports that in response to Trump's tough statements, Russia is considering deploying missiles to Cuba. The War Zone magazine emphasized that this news came against the background of Moscow and Havana having approved a military cooperation treaty this week. According to the magazine, Russia is seriously studying several deployment plans involving the "Iskander" tactical missile system, the "Kinzhal" medium-range ballistic missile, and other weapons.

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