President Donald Trump downplayed Russia’s recent test of its nuclear-capable Burevestnik missile, saying Vladimir Putin should focus on ending the war in Ukraine instead of boasting about new weapons.
On Sunday, President Putin praised the country’s “unique” nuclear-powered Burevestnik after reports that the Russian military had carried out fresh tests. Known to NATO as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall, the Burevestnik is a ground-launched cruise missile powered by a small nuclear reactor.
Why It’s Significant
Russia claims the Burevestnik can strike anywhere in the United States while avoiding Western missile defense systems. According to General Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s top military officer, the missile recently flew 8,700 miles over 15 hours during a test on October 21.
However, Western experts remain skeptical about its practicality. “It’s an infinitely stupid system,” said William Alberque, former head of NATO’s nuclear non-proliferation office, now with the Pacific Forum. Alberque noted that the U.S. experimented with similar technology in the early Cold War but abandoned it due to safety and reliability issues.
Trump’s Reaction
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Japan, Trump dismissed the test, pointing to America’s powerful deterrent capabilities.
“They know we have the greatest nuclear submarine fleet in the world, right off their coast,” Trump said. “We don’t need a missile that travels 8,000 miles.”
He added, “They’re not playing games with us, and we’re not playing games with them either.”
Trump criticized Putin for prioritizing weapons tests over ending the war in Ukraine.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for Putin to be bragging about missiles,” he said. “He should be ending the war — a war that should’ve lasted one week but is now heading into its fourth year.”
The War in Ukraine
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, with the Kremlin expecting a swift victory. Nearly four years later, Russian troops still occupy about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
The Trump administration recently imposed new sanctions targeting Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia’s two biggest oil companies, in an effort to weaken Moscow’s war funding. The European Union also followed with its 19th sanctions package, hitting Russia’s energy sector and financial institutions.
Despite the economic pressure, Russia has maintained its hardline stance on peace talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the sanctions but urged even tougher measures after Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least five civilians in Kyiv over the weekend.
Russia’s Expanding Arsenal
The Burevestnik was first unveiled in March 2018 alongside other next-generation nuclear weapons, including the Poseidon—a nuclear-powered underwater drone capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
On October 22, the Kremlin announced that Putin had overseen several strategic nuclear weapons tests, including the Yars intercontinental ballistic missile and the Sineva submarine-launched ballistic missile. The government statement did not specifically mention the Burevestnik test.
Final Word
Trump reiterated his position on Monday, saying:
“We test missiles all the time. But remember—we’ve got nuclear submarines. We don’t need to go 8,000 miles.”
Meanwhile, Putin hailed the Burevestnik as a “unique product unlike anything else in the world.”