Russia is developing a nuclear-powered cruise missile that critics call a flying Chernobyl.
In short: The 9M730 Burevestnik is a low-flying, nuclear-powered cruise missile designed for unlimited range. While Russia claims it can bypass any defense system, experts warn that its direct-cycle propulsion system constantly vents radioactive exhaust, making it a dangerous, impractical weapon that risks contaminating the very territory it is meant to protect.
The Burevestnik, known to NATO as Skyfall, is a strategic cruise missile unveiled by Vladimir Putin in 2018. It is designed to use a small nuclear power unit to achieve effectively unlimited range, allowing it to loiter for extended periods and take circuitous routes to evade missile defenses. The project is a revival of Cold War-era concepts, bearing similarities to the abandoned US Project Pluto, which was shelved due to the radioactive pollution it generated during flight.
Technical analysis suggests the missile likely employs a direct-cycle air-breathing propulsion system. In this design, atmospheric air passes through a nuclear reactor, becoming irradiated and infused with fission decay products before being expelled as exhaust. Researchers from MIT note that this process releases radioactive isotopes like argon and krypton into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the intense heat and compressed air required for flight would likely corrode the reactor core, limiting the weapon's actual endurance and making the concept of 'infinite range' technically questionable.
The development program has been marked by significant setbacks and controversy. The Nuclear Threat Initiative reports a poor test record, with at least 13 known attempts since 2016 and only two partial successes. A 2019 explosion at the Nyonoksa testing range, which killed five scientists, is widely suspected by experts to be linked to the recovery of a failed Burevestnik test. Despite these risks and skepticism from Western analysts regarding Russia's technical capacity to perfect the system, the Russian government maintains that the weapon is essential for sovereignty and continues to pursue its development, with potential adoption expected no sooner than 2027.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 9M730 Burevestnik
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