Russia recently completed a test of its nuclear-powered cruise missile, the 9M730 Burevestnik, reportedly flying about 14,000 kilometres over 15 hours. President Vladimir Putin called it a “unique product, unmatched anywhere else in the world,” indicating its readiness for deployment soon.
U.S. President Donald Trump criticised the test, urging Putin to prioritise ending the war in Ukraine instead. He remarked, “I don’t think it’s an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying… You ought to get the war ended, the war that should have taken one week is now … its fourth year.”
Trump added that the U.S. already has nuclear submarines near Russia, making such a long-range missile unnecessary.
“They know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shores,” Trump added.
The test coincided with the cancellation of planned talks between Trump and Putin, following months of escalating tensions partly driven by Western support for Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov defended the missile development as essential for Russia’s security, saying the country must “do everything possible to guarantee its own security”.
The Burevestnik’s nuclear propulsion allows it to stay airborne far longer than conventional missiles, enabling complex flight paths to evade defences. Despite technical challenges in past years, Russia views it as a critical component of its nuclear deterrent.