Burevestnik missile: How Russia’s new nuclear powered weapon can change the arms race

What exactly is the Burevestnik missile?

Putin first announced the Burevestnik in March 2018, describing it as a nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile with “unlimited range and unpredictable trajectory”.

Russian Ministry of Defense videos released at the time depicted the missile flying thousands of kilometres, looping around the globe before striking targets.

Burevestnik is a low-flying cruise missile. The trajectory of cruise missiles is comparatively lower in height than that of hypersonic or ballistic missiles.

How a nuclear engine can give Russia’s missile ‘unlimited power’

The reason it could theoretically have an unlimited range is its nuclear propulsion system. Defence expert, Retd Lt Col, J S Sodhi, told The Indian Express that a nuclear propulsion missile is powered by a miniature nuclear reactor, thus resulting in large ranges of operation. A conventional fuel engine uses a chemical reaction of fuel and oxidiser, thus having limited flight time and range.

Instead of carrying chemical fuel, the missile is reportedly powered by a compact nuclear reactor that heats incoming air to generate thrust.

In theory, as long as the reactor works, the missile could fly indefinitely, limited only by materials, guidance systems, or crew mission parameters. The concept of using a nuclear power reactor instead of a chemical fuel isn’t new.

In the 1960s, the US Project Pluto 1960s developed a similar nuclear ramjet missile (SLAM) that was never fielded due to safety and feasibility issues.

The science behind the missile that could fly without fuel

A missile becomes nuclear-powered when its propulsion system uses a nuclear reactor to heat air for thrust, replacing traditional chemical combustion, explains Retd Lt Col JS Sodhi.

As per a study published in the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a non-profit global security organisation that works to reduce threats from nuclear technologies, the missile reportedly uses a miniaturised nuclear reactor for propulsion.

It allows it to stay airborne for hours or even days – far beyond traditional cruise missiles. Furthermore, its unlimited range and unpredictable flight paths make it almost impossible to intercept with existing missile defence systems.

Deadly tests that killed five Russian nuclear specialists

As per a report by Reuters, the Burevestnik has a poor test record with numerous past failures, according to Western experts.

In 2019, at least five Russian nuclear specialists were killed in an explosion and release of radiation during an experiment in the White Sea, and US intelligence sources said they suspected it was part of a test of the Burevestnik.

Putin presented their widows with top state awards, saying the weapon they were developing was without equal in the world, although he did not name it. Putin announced a successful test of the missile in October 2023.

Two US researchers said in 2024 that they had identified the probable deployment site for the missile, alongside a nuclear warhead storage facility called Vologda-20 or Chebsara. The site is 295 miles (475 km) north of Moscow.

Failed flights and fallouts of the Burevestnik missile

US and NATO intelligence have tracked at least 13 test attempts between 2017 and 2021 at Novaya Zemlya and Pankovo, most of which reportedly failed within minutes of launch. None of these were publicly verified to demonstrate
long-range or sustained flight.

Satellite imagery and radiation data suggest multiple crash recoveries in the Arctic and Barents Sea, consistent with short, failed flights, not global-range tests. The NTI-Hruby report suggests that while Russian sources claim long-duration tests, no independent data confirms those flights actually occurred.

After a 2019 test failure near Nyonoksa, Norway detected iodine-131 isotopes, suggesting a nuclear reactor release. This supports the idea that the missile indeed uses a nuclear power source, but not to ‘unlimited range’ in operational reality.

New START treaty nears expiry, renews arms race

Putin’s announcement comes as the New START treaty, which limits US and Russian nuclear forces to 1,550 strategic warheads and 700 strategic launchers deployed on each side, is set to expire early next year.

START stands for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The first version was signed between the US and the USSR in 1991 and came into force in 1994. It was later replaced by the New START Treaty, signed in 2010 and effective from 2011. The treaty was set to expire in 2021 but was extended until 2026. Moscow had suspended its participation in 2023, raising fears of a renewed nuclear arms race.

The Russian leader recently offered to voluntarily respect the treaty’s limits for one year, a proposal US President Donald Trump said “sounds like a good idea to me.”

Retd Col JS Sodhi says, “New START entered force on 05 Feb 2011 between Russia and the US. However, on 21 February 2023, Russia suspended its participation in New START. Now with the successful testing of the Burevestnik missile, Russia has made clear its intentions to publicly start the nuclear arms race with the US.”

However, the New START treaty only limits deployed strategic nuclear weapons such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched missiles, and heavy bombers. The Burevestnik (a nuclear-powered cruise missile) does not fall under these categories, because it is not yet operational and is designed to be a new type of strategic weapon outside the treaty’s current definitions.

By developing the Burevestnik, Russia is bypassing the treaty’s restrictions rather than breaking them.