Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a chilling warning to the United Kingdom and NATO allies after confirming that Russia successfully tested a new nuclear-capable missile with an “unlimited range.”
According to Russian state media, the test of the 9M730 Burevestnik known to NATO as SSC-X-9 Skyfall took place on October 21. Russian military chief Valery Gerasimov reported that the missile flew for nearly 15 hours, covering more than 8,700 miles, demonstrating what Putin called “a unique weapon that nobody else in the world possesses.”
Putin described the new missile as “invincible,” boasting of its unpredictable flight path and ability to evade any existing missile defense systems. However, Western experts have expressed serious concerns about the weapon’s safety. Former U.S. State Department official Thomas Countryman once referred to the Skyfall as a “flying Chernobyl”, warning that it poses a greater danger to Russia itself because of the radioactive trail it leaves behind.
A day after the test, Putin personally oversaw a large-scale nuclear drill on October 22, which included ballistic missile launches and military exercises across Russia. The timing of the drills coming just after the cancellation of a planned meeting between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump has raised global concern. Analysts believe the move was meant to send a strong message to NATO amid rising tensions between Moscow and Washington.
Putin declared that Russia’s “nuclear deterrent forces are now at the highest level of modern readiness.”
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Russia carried out another deadly overnight drone attack, killing three people and injuring 31 others, including six children, in Kyiv. Ukraine’s Air Force said that out of 101 drones launched, 90 were shot down, but several managed to cause fires in residential areas of the Desnianskyi district.
Leaked Kremlin documents have also revealed that Russia recently ordered 56 new Kalibr missiles, some reportedly fitted with nuclear warheads. These cruise missiles are among the most powerful in Russia’s arsenal and can carry both nuclear and conventional payloads. Capable of flying at low altitudes and guided by satellite navigation, Kalibr missiles are difficult for air defense systems to detect and intercept.
This latest missile test and the ongoing escalation in Ukraine are seen as clear indicators that Russia is intensifying its nuclear posture a move that has alarmed Western governments and defense analysts alike.
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