Moscow (Russia), Oct. 26 (LaPresse/AP) – Russia has tested the Burevestnik, a new nuclear-capable cruise missile able to evade existing defense systems. Russian President Vladimir Putin said this in statements released today. Putin, dressed in camouflage uniform, was seen meeting senior Russian military officers, according to a video released by the Kremlin. The footage shows General Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s Chief of General Staff, reporting to the Russian leader that the Burevestnik, in a test on Tuesday, had traveled 14,000 kilometers. Gerasimov said that the Burevestnik, or Storm Petrel in Russian, spent 15 hours in flight, adding that “this is not the limit.” “We must determine possible uses and start preparing infrastructure for the deployment of these weapons in our armed forces,” Putin told Gerasimov in the video, instructing him to work on the missile’s final tests. Putin also stated that the missile is not vulnerable to current or future missile defense systems, thanks to its nearly unlimited range and unpredictable flight path.
On Wednesday, Putin directed exercises of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces, which involved missile launches. The exercise took place while the planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on Ukraine was suspended. The Kremlin said the maneuvers involved all parts of Moscow’s nuclear triad, including intercontinental ballistic missiles tested from launch facilities in northwestern Russia and from a submarine in the Barents Sea. The drills also involved Tu-95 strategic bombers that launched long-range cruise missiles. The exercise tested the capabilities of the military command structures.