Moscow- Russia has started developing a new generation of nuclear-powered cruise missiles that will travel at speeds over three times the speed of sound, President Vladimir Putin announced during an award ceremony at the Kremlin.
According to state news agency TASS, Putin said the missiles could become hypersonic in the future, marking a major leap in Russia’s defense capabilities. He emphasized that the country’s plans to modernize its armed forces and defense industry were progressing as intended.
“All our plans for the development of promising weapons systems, for the development of the defense sector, for equipping the Russian army and navy with state-of-the-art weapons and vehicles are being implemented,” Putin said, adding that the latest Avangard strategic missile system had entered combat duty.
Putin also confirmed the mass production of the Oreshnik intermediate-range missile system and the deployment of advanced warheads on both intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
During the ceremony, Putin presented state awards to scientists and engineers who developed the Burevestnik nuclear-powered missile and the Poseidon underwater drone, describing the systems as weapons of “historic significance” for Russia and “for the entire 21st century.”
Putin claimed that the Burevestnik had outperformed all known missile systems globally in terms of range. He also noted that a NATO vessel was present in the area during the missile’s October 21 test but said Russia “didn’t interfere with its operations.”
In addition to the Burevestnik, Russia has tested the Poseidon — a nuclear-powered underwater drone designed to operate at great depths and cover intercontinental distances. The newly launched Khabarovsk nuclear submarine was specifically built to deploy such drones.
Both the Burevestnik and Poseidon were first revealed in 2018, with Putin announcing successful tests of the Burevestnik in 2023, according to CNN.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing the testing programs of other countries as justification for the decision.
