Vladimir Putin has issued a stark warning to the UK as it has been confirmed Russia has tested a new nuclear missile with an unlimited range. The Russian leader described the weapon as “invincible” and added that “nobody else in the world” has it.
The 9M730 Burevestnik (Storm Petrel), a nuclear-capable missile dubbed SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO, was tested on Tuesday (October 21). Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia‘s armed forces, confirmed that it travelled 8,700 miles and was in the air for around 15 hours. The missile is reportedly “invincible” to defences and has an almost unlimited range and unpredictable flight path. Putin said: “It is unique ware which nobody else in the world has.”
The Skyfall missile was previously described by top State Department official Thomas Countryman as a “flying Chernobyl”. He said the “uniquely stupid weapon system” poses “more threat to Russia than it does to other countries” due to its deadly radioactive trail.
As reported by Sky News, Putin oversaw a terrifying demonstration of Russia‘s nuclear arsenal on Wednesday (October 22). It involved executing missile tests and massive military exercises at a time when tensions between Moscow and Washington continue to spiral.
The demonstration came a day after Putin’s scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump was suddenly scrapped. Although the Russian president claimed the exercises were pre-planned, their timing raised suspicion and was seen as an attempt to intimidate NATO members.
Putin said: “The so-called modernity of our nuclear deterrent forces is at the highest level.” It was followed by a Russian drone attack overnight on Sunday, which saw three people killed and 31 injured, including six children, in Kyiv.
Russia reportedly used 101 drones in the attack which caused fires to break out in two residential buildings in the Desnianskyi district. Ukraine‘s Air Force said that 90 of the drones were shot down while Kyiv and its surrounding region were under air raid alerts for between 60 and 90 minutes.
According to leaked Kremlin documents, Russia has also reportedly ordered a batch of 56 Kalibr missiles armed with nuclear warheads. They are one of several lethal weapons used by Russia‘s military to bombard and terrorise Ukraine.
The rockets are deployed across multiple Russian Navy platforms and are capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear payloads weighing up to 500 kilograms. The missile features an inertial satellite guidance system and can fly at low altitudes, making it harder for air-defence systems to detect.
