Russia has launched a brand-new nuclear weapon in a round-the-world missile take a look at, the nation's defence chief has stated.
The "Burevestnik" rocket is each nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable. It boasts an virtually limitless vary and an unpredictable flight path.
The missile travelled 14,000 km (8,700 miles) and was within the air for 15 hours in complete.
On Sunday, a press release confirmed that Chief of the Basic Employees Valery Gerasimov had knowledgeable Vladimir Putin of the take a look at.
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Mr Putin has stated the 9M730 Burevestnik (Storm Petrel) – often known as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall to Nato – is "invincible".
The weapon is about 12 metres lengthy, was first unveiled in 2018, and types one in all six Russian so-called "super-weapons" in Mr Putin's arsenal.
This weekend's Burevestnik assessments have now been accomplished – with work now set to start out on a last stage of testing earlier than the missiles are deployed.
Simply after 6am GMT, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that President Putin had travelled to a navy command put up for top-level talks.
There, he met Basic Gerasimov and extra Russian prime canines.
"All of them gave the supreme commander-in-chief an in depth report on the scenario alongside the road of contact," Mr Peskov stated.
Simply 4 days earlier, Russia had launched a volley of missiles from a submarine within the Barents Sea, the icy stretch of water off Russia's north coast.
The sub launched a Sineva intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), whereas a Yars rocket was test-fired from the Plesetsk launch facility in northwest Russia.
In August this 12 months, satellite tv for pc imagery from Planet Labs was stated to have proven take a look at preparations of the Burevestnik at Russia's Pan'kovo take a look at vary – once more on Novaya Zemlya within the Excessive North.
It stays unclear whether or not this weekend's missile was launched from Pan'kovo.
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