Russia now has a new cruise missile of virtually unlimited range with a nuclear power plant, Burevestnik (Petrel). This was stated by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, speaking at the plenary session of the International Discussion Club Valdai.
The test of the new weapon has already taken place.
The final successful test of the Petrel cruise missile with a nuclear power plant of global range has been conducted.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
According to the President, there are only formalities left for the Petrels to be put into mass production. The work on the superheavy missile Sarmat is essentially complete.
The question is that we need to just simply finish some administrative-bureaucratic procedures, proceed to their mass production and putting them on combat duty. We will do this in the near future.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Work on the Petrel and other modern, unparalleled weapons was announced by the head of state on March 1, 2018, when delivering the Address to the Federal Assembly. It was about new armament for Russia, capable of ensuring a strategic balance in the world for decades to come.
The same year saw the first tests of the missile. According to the Ministry of Defence, the Petrel was designed in such a way that current global air defence and missile defence systems are unable to detect the missile during its low flight. Moreover, the missile has virtually unlimited range and a nuclear power plant. It is also capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.