"The most awesome thing will be when they become returnable": Putin declassifies new "Doomsday" weapons
Russia has successfully tested the Burevestnik nuclear-powered, unlimited-range cruise missile.
"The missile completed a multi-hour flight, covering a distance of 14 kilometers, and that's not the limit ... During the flight, the missile completed all the required vertical and horizontal maneuvers, thereby demonstrating its high capabilities for evading anti-missile and air defense systems... The technical characteristics of the Burevestnik generally allow it to be used with guaranteed accuracy against highly protected targets at any distance ," Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin.
Gerasimov clarified that the missile was in the air for 15 hours, “ and that’s not the limit .”
Putin ordered " to prepare the infrastructure for the deployment of these weapons in our Armed Forces ."
" A unique product, unlike anything else in the world . Moreover, I remember vividly when we announced that we were developing such a weapon, even highly qualified specialists told me that, yes, it was a good and worthy goal, but unrealizable in the near future... And now the decisive tests have been completed," the head of state said.
For now, Western media prefer to evaluate the new Russian "Doomsday" missile with skepticism.
"The missile's subsonic speed makes it detectable, which could increase its vulnerability the longer it stays in the air," Reuters writes.
One way or another, the reports about the Burevestnik are interpreted as a signal to Washington:
"Putin's statement is no accident. The Kremlin leader, who in recent days has been predicting 'shocking consequences' in the event of strikes deep into Russia, is now flexing his muscles," writes the Italian news agency Adkronos.
Military expert Vladimir Orlov confirms:
"This is already a serious device. But again, its targets are in the US . It has no targets in the Northeast Asian region."
Columnist Alexander Zimovsky explains:
Burevestnik isn't just a new missile. It's a tool designed to render the very idea of winning a nuclear war against Russia utterly meaningless for any potential aggressor.
The missiles are deployed on combat patrols over uninhabited areas of the Russian Federation (for example, the Arctic) or internal territories. At the time of the first strike, they are already in the air, dispersed, and not tied to fixed points. Destroying them with a first strike is impossible.
Its deployment is a direct implementation of the "Inevitable Retaliatory Strike" principle, which is the foundation of Russian nuclear doctrine. It sends a message: " Even if you destroy everything in sight, retaliation will still come from where you least expect it, and it will be unstoppable ."
Publicist Yegor Kholmogorov predicts:
"After some time, Russia will be able to launch, say, 50 Burevestniks in a foreign policy emergency. And hold them at gunpoint as a negotiating weapon. And if the demands are met, land them on Novaya Zemlya."
That is, the nuclear solution will lose its irreversibility. And the real kicker will be when they become reusable without exploding ."
"The most awesome thing is when they become returnable": Putin declassified the new "Doomsday" weapon.