The existence of the 9M730 Burevestnik was first made official in early 2018 as a part of six new strategic weapons, including hypersonic and ballistic missiles and a nuclear-capable torpedo.
The Russian Chief of General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, revealed on Oct. 26, 2025, that his country’s Strategic Rocket Forces tested the 9M730 Burevestnik (Russian for “Storm Petrel,” NATO designation SSC-X-9 Skyfall) nuclear-powered cruise missile on Oct. 21. Gerasimov claimed the missile flew 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) in 15 hours.
This was stated during a visit to an unidentified frontline area in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The revelation also came as the U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has again taken a tougher stance on Russia to settle for a ceasefire, and the supply of TLAM (Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile) to Ukraine.
This is not the first time the new missile has been tested. In fact, many reports included an older image and video from RU-RTR Russian Television showing a test in March 2018.
The Burevestnik was announced in 2018 as a part of six new strategic nuclear weapons. According to earlier reports, the missile could fly non-stop with its nuclear reactor and the ability to maneuver allows it to bypass any known anti-air and missile-defense system.
Russia has announced the successful testing of its devastatingly powerful “Burevestnik” (Storm Petrel) nuclear powered low flying cruise missile.
It can strike anywhere on the earth, and stay airborne indefinitely due to its nuclear powered propulsion.
Nothing can stop it. pic.twitter.com/SdUmHQW5yc
— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) October 26, 2025
The missile’s specifications and performance are far from being known. However, Gerasimov told Putin on Oct. 26 the Burevestnik’s exact kinematics achieved in the test, which, if true, would make it the only system of this kind, with no known analogue anywhere in the world.
🚨⚡️BREAKING AND UNUSUAL
Burevestnik”— the hypersonic cruise missile unlike any other in the world🔥🚀. pic.twitter.com/KB49eJdQtt
— RussiaNews 🇷🇺 (@mog_russEN) October 26, 2025
Putin-Gerasimov interaction
An English-subtitled clip of Putin’s visit was released by RT:
“Regarding the exercise, I would like to ask the head of the General Staff to report on one another event. I am talking about the test of the Burevestnik missile with a nuclear propulsion engine that has an unlimited range […].”
Putin then asked Gerasimov to provide an update from the military’s end, who replied:
“On Oct. 21 that test was carried out. The difference between that launch and the previous launches is that there was a multi-hour flight of that missile that travelled for [ineligible] 14,000 km.”
Putin then interjected that “that’s not its limit,” to which Gerasimov specified it was “powered by a nuclear propulsion engine.”
BREAKING NEWS !!!!!
RUSSIA has just released details of the ULTIMATE CRUISE NUCLEAR MISSILE
🚨🚨 14K km: Russia completed tests of the Burevestnik missile – Putin
Chief of General Staff Gerasimov to Putin:
The Burevestnik was airborne for about 15 hours and covered 14K km —… pic.twitter.com/X1Z4AyU9Pr
— 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐙 🇷🇺 🇷🇺 (@SMO_VZ) October 26, 2025
“The technical characteristics of the Burevestnik allow it to be used against protected sites anywhere. During the test flight of the missile, all the vertical and horizontal maneuvers that had been planned to demonstrate were done […],” Gerasimov said. Putin chimed in saying that “the missile can overcome any defenses […] 14,000 km right?” to which Gerasimov responded in the affirmative.
Gerasimov also confirmed the figure of Burevestnik’s 15-hour airborne time, with Putin saying “that’s not the limit” and Gerasimov again responding in the affirmative. Putin also said they need to “classify” the weapon, “define how it may be used, and start preparing infrastructure for deploying” it.
1️⃣ Nuclear powered
The defining feature of the 9M730 Burevestnik (Russian ‘Storm petrel’, NATO reporting name SSC-X-9 Skyfall) is its nuclear propulsion system
Its small onboard nuclear reactor gives it effectively an unlimited range pic.twitter.com/MpwdCg1cNU
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) October 26, 2025
The carefully scripted official interaction of the Burevestnik’s stunning performance clearly has strategic signaling and propaganda value. This also highlights Russia’s penchant and expertise in developing compact nuclear power plants.
For instance, Russia helped with “considerable technical assistance” in developing the small 83MW Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) on India’s first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the INS Arihant, according to Business Standard.
9M730 Burevestnik
Different renditions of the Burevestnik exist. Sputnik had a design with sharper lines, top-mounted folding wings and a dorsal air-breathing engine. The weapon also has what appears to be a long ventral bulge running across half of its length.
3️⃣ Stealth
Since it’s a cruise missile, the Burevestnik can hug the ground on approach at altitudes below enemy radar’s ability to detect, making interception challenging
No ballistic flight trajectory and no range limits means no point where defenses can be deployed to stop it pic.twitter.com/Kdt1mrswd0
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) October 26, 2025
On the other hand, RT showed a design with a conical nose, rounded body and mid-body folding wings, with an external ventral propulsion system. Both publications put the speed at 850-1300 km/hour, and a flight altitude of 25 to 100 meters, while classifying the engine as a “nuclear turbojet.”
Pavel Podvig, an expert on Russian nuclear forces, said that the test may have taken place from the Pan’Kovo test site, sharing a satellite image from August 2025 showing activity there. Reports in early September then speculated a possible launch of the Burevestnik from that location.
On 21 October 2025 Russia conducted “the key test” of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile (also referred to as SSC-X-9 Skyfall). The test is reported to be successful. The missile travelled 14,000 km in a 15-hour flight (Image: Pan’kovo test site). Links follow 1/ pic.twitter.com/OVuCCjPiDO
— Pavel Podvig (@russianforces) October 26, 2025
One clip by Sputnik, along with a rendition, is closest in the now-released footage from the 2018 test. It showed the Burevestnik taking off in an inclined position, with footage from the chase aircraft’s cockpit (possibly a Su-30). Interesting footage of scenes from the developer’s facility, possibly the Novator Design Bureau – according to the Nezavisimiya Gazeta, shows at least six square-shaped canisters with staff inspecting the missile.
Close-up of the missile’s nose inside the canisters also showed an orange colour and angled design. A concept video by Sputnik shows the weapon following a nap-of-the-earth route around valleys and over peaks in the Arctic High North, and then flying over the Atlantic Ocean, going around the South American continent, and then head to the U.S. western seaboard.
All the while, the missile is depicted going around what could be known U.S. and NATO sea- and land-based ballistic missile defenses. This is in line with the Russians defining this weapon as “invincible.”
That nearly 30,000 km journey would be twice the missile’s claimed range — and the longer it flies, the easier it becomes to track. However, given that multiple missiles have already been produced (as shown in the 2018 footage from Novator’s facility) and more are expected over the next few years, Russia could employ a mix of such ultra-long-range ballistic and hypersonic systems, providing a wide range of operational options.
Russia’s ‘super weapons’
The 9M730 Burevestnik was among the six new indigenous “strategic superoruzhie” (super weapons) unveiled by Putin in March 2018. According to British think-tank Chatham House, quoting Russian official statements and mainstream media reports, these included:
- The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic hypersonic missile;
- The RS-28 Sarmat ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile), meant to replace the older Soviet-era RS-36M Voevoda (SS-18 Satan) and supplement the RS-24 Yars by carrying a mix of different payloads including re-entry vehicles and decoys;
- The Avangard hypersonic system, which puts a new Yu-71 HGV (Hypersonic Glide Vehicle) on an older Soviet-era RS18A ICBM;
- The Poseidon nuclear armed underwater torpedo, essentially an nuclear-powered “multipurpose UUV (Unmanned Underwater Vehicle),” also identified as Status-6;
- The 3M22 Tsirkon (Zircon) ship-launched hypersonic missile, another aeroballistic missile for both ship and land strikes.
All of these systems are considered capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads. Russia demonstrated this capability in November 2024 by launching a conventional strike with what Putin identified as the RS-26 Oreshnik.
Observers noted that the non-nuclear conventional strike in Dnipro used multiple warheads. Russian official wording has frequently described NATO targets as “Western decision making centers.”
