Moscow Announces Effective Trial of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Weapon

Moscow has trialed the nuclear-powered Burevestnik long-range missile, as stated by the country's top military official.

"We have launched a prolonged flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traversed a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the limit," Top Army Official the commander told the Russian leader in a broadcast conference.

The low-flying advanced armament, first announced in recent years, has been described as having a theoretically endless flight path and the capability to bypass missile defences.

Western experts have previously cast doubt over the weapon's military utility and Russian claims of having effectively trialed it.

The national leader declared that a "last accomplished trial" of the missile had been conducted in 2023, but the assertion could not be independently verified. Of over a dozen recorded evaluations, just two instances had moderate achievement since several years ago, as per an arms control campaign group.

The general stated the projectile was in the sky for 15 hours during the evaluation on the specified date.

He explained the projectile's ascent and directional control were evaluated and were determined to be up to specification, according to a domestic media outlet.

"As a result, it exhibited superior performance to circumvent defensive networks," the media source quoted the commander as saying.

The missile's utility has been the subject of heated controversy in defence and strategic sectors since it was initially revealed in 2018.

A recent analysis by a US Air Force intelligence center concluded: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would offer Moscow a singular system with global strike capacity."

Yet, as an international strategic institute noted the same year, the nation encounters considerable difficulties in developing a functional system.

"Its induction into the country's inventory arguably hinges not only on overcoming the considerable technical challenge of guaranteeing the dependable functioning of the atomic power system," specialists stated.

"There have been multiple unsuccessful trials, and an accident leading to several deaths."

A defence publication referenced in the report claims the missile has a flight distance of between 10,000 and 20,000km, enabling "the projectile to be stationed across the country and still be able to reach objectives in the American territory."

The same journal also says the weapon can fly as close to the ground as 50 to 100 metres above the surface, rendering it challenging for defensive networks to intercept.

The projectile, designated Skyfall by a foreign security organization, is believed to be powered 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 news agency recently identified a site 295 miles above the capital as the possible firing point of the missile.

Utilizing satellite imagery from the recent past, an expert reported to the outlet he had observed multiple firing positions in development at the location.

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