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Russia May Test Nuclear-Powered Burevestnik Missile—Dubbed ‘Flying Chernobyl’ by US Officials
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Russia may be preparing to conduct a new test of its nuclear-powered cruise missile, known as “Burevestnik,” according to indicators observed at a remote Arctic test site.
Satellite imagery and activity at the Pankovo test range on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago suggest renewed preparations for a launch, writes Decker Eveleth on August 5, a nuclear weapons analyst with the CNA Corporation.
The missile, announced by Russian leader Vladimir Putin in 2018 as one of Russia’s next-generation strategic weapons, has been referred to in the United States as the “flying Chernobyl.”
Further signs of an upcoming test include the deployment of a US Air Force WC-135R Constant Phoenix aircraft—an airborne platform equipped to detect radioactive emissions.
The aircraft took off from RAF Mildenhall in the UK and spent approximately 14 hours over the Barents Sea, near the Murmansk coast and west of Novaya Zemlya, according to Newsweek, citing data from FlightRadar.
As of October 2023, US intelligence assessed that Russia had attempted 13 Burevestnik test flights, none of which demonstrated sustained success. The longest recorded flight reportedly lasted two minutes, covering no more than 35 kilometers.
A 2019 test resulted in a fatal accident when the missile crashed into the Barents Sea. During a recovery mission, an explosion occurred, killing seven people, including nuclear specialists from the Sarov nuclear center. A radiation cloud from the incident spread over the nearby city of Severodvinsk and was later detected in parts of Scandinavia.
In 2020, US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea criticized the project during Senate testimony, urging Russia to halt development. He cited environmental risks associated with the missile’s nuclear propulsion system, which could emit radioactive material during flight and contaminate crash sites.
Putin claimed in October 2023 that the most recent test was “successful” and stated that development of the Burevestnik was “nearly complete.”
The missile is designed to have unlimited range and nuclear propulsion, combining strategic reach with a nuclear payload. However, repeated test failures and safety concerns have raised questions internationally about the viability and risks of the program.
Earlier, Russia shut down the airspace above its Kapustin Yar test range from 5 to 9 August and declared it no longer bound by the INF Treaty’s limits—a change Deputy Security Council Chair Dmitry Medvedev warned would be followed by “further steps.”
