Putin claims successful test of long-range nuclear-powered cruise missile amid diplomatic breakdown

Russia has successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile and will work towards deploying the weapon, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday, which comes as Moscow launched its second deadly attack on Ukraine in two nights.

The timing of the missile test is notable, coming the same week that a potential summit with US President Donald Trump broke down, and the White House placed sanctions on two of Russia’s largest oil companies – some of the Trump administration’s most tangible actions against Russia to date.

Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia’s armed forces, claimed the Burevestnik missile remained airborne for about 15 hours and covered a distance of around 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles). During the test, the weapon demonstrated “its high capabilities in evading anti-missile and anti-aircraft defences,” Gerasimov said.

Meanwhile, Putin said, “We need to determine the possible ways of using it and start preparing the infrastructure for deploying this weapon,” adding that it’s a product “no one else in the world has.”

Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev said that the details of the “successful” missile testing had been conveyed to the Trump administration during his visit to the US, as well as recent battlefield updates.

Last week, Russia also held a “planned” strategic nuclear forces drill under Putin’s supervision. The Kremlin said the drill tested staff skills and the readiness of military command-and-control systems, adding that all objectives were met.

Moscow’s air defense systems repelled a series of drone attacks throughout Sunday evening and into Monday local time, according to the city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin. More than a dozen drones were shot down, Sobyanin said. Emergency services are working to clear the debris from the interceptions, he added.

Six civilians were also injured in Russia’s Belgorod region due to Ukrainian strikes, according to local authorities there, including three in the city of Belgorod and three in the village of Dorogoshch.