Putin honours developers of Russia’s nuclear-powered weapons

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday presented state awards to scientists and engineers behind the country’s newest strategic weapons systems, including the nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater torpedo, the Kremlin said.

Video released by the Kremlin showed Putin addressing the recipients, though the audience was not visible. He praised Russia’s progress in modernising its strategic arsenal and thanked those who contributed to its development.

Russia claims the 9M730 Burevestnik, known by NATO as SSC-X-9 Skyfall, is “invincible” to current and future missile defences, boasting an almost unlimited range and an unpredictable flight path.

Since first unveiling the Burevestnik in 2018, Putin has described it as a direct response to U.S. missile defence initiatives and NATO’s eastward expansion. Moscow cites Washington’s 2001 withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty as a key turning point that justified its new weapons programme.

The Kremlin has not disclosed when the Burevestnik or Poseidon systems will enter operational service.

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