Russia Signals Possible Nuclear Missile Test Ahead of High-Stakes Ukraine Talks with US.

On August 13, 2025, Reuters, citing assessments by U.S. researchers and a Western security source, reported that Russia appears to be preparing to test a nuclear-powered, dual-propulsion cruise missile as President Vladimir Putin readies to meet his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump on Friday to discuss Ukraine. This assessment is based on the analysis of recent satellite imagery showing unusual activity at the Pankovo test site, located on Yuzhny Island in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, on the Barents Sea.
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Equipped with a thermonuclear warhead and capable of remaining airborne for extended periods, the Burevestnik is intended as a deterrent weapon able to strike from unexpected directions (Picture source: Russian MoD)

Jeffrey Lewis, a specialist at the California-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies, and Decker Eveleth, an analyst at the CNA research organization in Virginia, independently examined the available data and reached similar conclusions. The images, dated August 7, 2025, show the deployment of equipment and significant logistical activity around the Pankovo facilities. Although neither the Kremlin nor the Russian Ministry of Defense has officially commented, the visual observations match activity patterns previously associated with tests of this type of weapon system.

The missile in question is believed to be the 9M730 Burevestnik, NATO reporting name SSC-X-9 Skyfall, a Russian nuclear-powered and nuclear-thermonuclear cruise missile currently under development for the Russian Armed Forces. Unveiled by Vladimir Putin in March 2018, it is designed to have a theoretically unlimited range thanks to a miniaturized nuclear reactor, allowing it to fly at low altitude along complex and unpredictable trajectories to evade enemy radars and interceptors. Measuring 12 meters at launch and about 9 meters in flight, it uses a solid-fuel booster for takeoff and a jet engine heated by a nuclear system, which, according to some analyses, produces radioactive emissions throughout its operation.

Equipped with a thermonuclear warhead and capable of remaining airborne for extended periods, the Burevestnik is intended as a deterrent weapon able to strike from unexpected directions. Compared to the Kh-101 cruise missile, to which it is similar in overall dimensions, it differs in having wings mounted above the fuselage and protrusions associated with heat transfer from the reactor. Its mass, significantly greater than that of the Kh-101, rules out integration on existing strategic bombers such as the Tu-160 or Tu-95. Official specifications claim it can evade any known missile defense system, reinforcing its strategic role in the context of nuclear competition.

Despite these ambitions, the Burevestnik has a poor test record, with at least thirteen tests since 2016 and only two partial successes. Notable incidents, such as the August 2019 Nyonoksa accident that killed five scientists and caused a radioactive leak, highlight the program’s technical and environmental risks. Nevertheless, Moscow continues development, viewing the system as a strategic asset to counter the deployment of missile defense systems by the United States and its allies.

The possibility of a test on the eve of a high-level bilateral meeting has drawn international attention. The announced agenda for the talks between Putin and Trump includes the situation in Ukraine and, potentially, issues of strategic stability. If confirmed, such a test could be interpreted as a signal of firmness toward Washington or as a demonstration of technological capabilities aimed at strengthening Moscow’s negotiating position.

The tensions surrounding Burevestnik testing are part of a broader context of Russian strategic arsenal modernization and the erosion of arms control frameworks. Since the collapse of several bilateral agreements, notably the INF Treaty, the two major nuclear powers have had greater latitude to develop and test systems previously restricted by international commitments. Analysts note that while the Burevestnik remains far from serial production, its development reflects Russia’s intent to diversify strategic delivery systems and bypass adversary defenses.

The convergence of evidence from satellite imagery, the history of the Pankovo site, and the diplomatic timetable supports the hypothesis of an imminent Burevestnik cruise missile test. Should it occur, it would take place at a diplomatically sensitive moment, providing Moscow with an opportunity to reaffirm its strategic ambitions while testing a system whose reliability remains unproven.