Russia has completed its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, which NATO sees as a major threat due to its unlimited range and high manoeuvrability.
Russia has finalised development of its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, a weapon that Western intelligence assesses could pose a significant threat to NATO defences, according to a classified alliance document.
The missile, known to NATO as SSC-X-9 Skyfall, can reach speeds of more than 900 kilometres per hour, is highly manoeuvrable and can be launched from mobile platforms, according to the document from NATO's intelligence department seen by German outlet Die Welt.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced successful tests of the missile three weeks ago.
What can the Burevestnik do?
The missile's nuclear reactor gives it a theoretically unlimited range, allowing it to travel tens of thousands of kilometres without refuelling, stay airborne for extended periods, change course and attack targets from any direction, according to NATO's assessment.
"Existing challenges would be further exacerbated by the extreme range and manoeuvrability" of the missile, the NATO document states. The system could take long, indirect routes and avoid NATO air defences, including over southern and polar regions where surveillance is minimal.
A fully operational Burevestnik would present major difficulties for Europe, the assessment suggests. If Russia deploys the system, NATO would face a threat that is very hard to control.
However, some experts note the cruise missile does not reach hypersonic speeds and becomes more vulnerable the longer it remains airborne.
NATO experts are also examining a new mobile medium-range missile from Russia, the SS-X-28 Oreshnik, which was first tested in Ukraine in November 2024. Western experts are particularly concerned about its range of up to 5,500 kilometres and the possibility of equipping the warhead with various munitions, including nuclear ones.
"The ability to attack targets anywhere in Europe, combined with the high mobility of the launcher, ensures a high survivability rate. The lack of clarity about the deployed warheads poses defence challenges for NATO," the document states.
Oreshnik to be deployed in Belarus
Belarus will deploy the Oreshnik hypersonic medium-range missile in December, according to a statement by Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka's spokesperson, Natalia Eismont, to Russian state-run outlets. Lukashenka said the deployment is in response to Western escalation.
The NATO document also identifies the nuclear-capable Poseidon submarine drone as a problem, with the systems expected to be operational by 2030. The Poseidon is said to have a significant range and has presumably been designed to "destroy naval bases, harbours and coastal cities in the Pacific, on the US east coast and in the UK and France."
The Poseidon-carrying submarines would be "difficult to detect and attack when operating in deep water," according to the document. NATO currently lacks "anti-submarine torpedoes with the necessary speed and range" to effectively combat the Poseidon drone.
The document makes clear that NATO has deficits, particularly in its medium and long-range capabilities, especially with nuclear weapons.
Not all experts are convinced by the Burevestnik. Some argue that even if Russia manages to run its nuclear reactor reliably, the missile may not give Russia a major advantage.
Fabian Hoffmann, research associate at the Oslo Nuclear Project at the University of Oslo, described Burevestnik on X as a "useless and superfluous" weapon.
Five Russian scientists were killed during a Burevestnik test in 2019, according to observers. Several workers were thrown into the sea, and a rise in radiation levels was later recorded in the area. It remains unclear whether radiation caused any deaths.
The United States rejected the basic idea of combining a nuclear reactor with a nuclear weapon in the 1950s because of the risks involved.
William Alberque, a senior associate at the Pacific Forum and former NATO arms control director, said the biggest danger comes at launch. If a Burevestnik were to be hit, radioactive material from its nuclear reactor could be scattered over a wide area, "like a mini Chernobyl in the sky," he said.
Independent nuclear expert Pavel Podvig told DW: "I would be cautious about claiming that this was a flying Chernobyl. If there had been a release of radioactive radiation, it would have been noticed." A crash during take-off or flight would probably be riskier, he added.