Russia Develops Next Gen Nuclear-Powered Missiles: Putin

President Vladimir Putin revealed that Russia has started work on developing a new generation of nuclear-powered cruise missiles, as reported by the official media. 

Speaking at an award ceremony for weapons developers in the Kremlin, Putin, as quoted by TASS, stated that the upcoming generation of nuclear-powered cruise missiles will travel at speeds exceeding three times the speed of sound and could eventually achieve hypersonic velocity. 

President Vladimir Putin said, “All our plans for the development of promising weapons systems, for the development of the defence sector, for equipping the Russian army and Navy with state-of-the-art weapons and vehicles are being implemented.” 

TASS quoted, Putin further added that, “”We have developed and put on duty, and launched mass production of the Oreshnik intermediate-range missile system.” “We have equipped our intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine missiles with advanced warheads.”

Putin Honors Developers of Burevestnik and Poseidon

Putin handed over state awards to developers of the country’s nuclear-powered Burevestnik missile and Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle. He said that the nuclear-capable weapons were of “historic significance” for Russia and “for the entire 21st century.”

Putin said the Burevestnik demonstrated the missile’s advanced capabilities.

 “In terms of flight range, the Burevestnik … has surpassed all known missile systems in the world,” Putin said in his speech, he said.

Further, the Russian president claimed that a NATO vessel was present in the area where the Burevestnik was tested on October 21, and that Moscow “didn’t interfere with its operations.”

Russia’s Poseidon Nuclear Drone and Khabarovsk Submarine Capable of Global Strikes 

Apart from the Burevestnik, Russia also recently tested the Poseidon — a nuclear-powered underwater drone — and launched the Khabarovsk, a new nuclear submarine specifically designed to deploy such weapons.

The Poseidon drone system reportedly enables the drone to travel at great depths, exceed the speed of modern torpedoes, and cover intercontinental distances.

According to a CNN report, Putin had unveiled both weapons in 2018, and even announced a successful test of the Burevestnik in 2023. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to restart nuclear weapons testing.

The US president said he gave the order “because of other countries’ testing programs.”

(Inputs from ANI)