US researchers claimed to reveal the location of Russia’s newest 9M370 Burevestnik nuclear-armed cruise missile, Reuters reported.
The report comes amid President Putin’s claims that Russia’s most recent weapon is capable of “evading US missile defenses” due to its “almost unlimited range.”
The deployment of Russia’s newest weapon, known by its NATO reporting name SSC-X-9 Skyfall, was revealed through satellite images provided by the commercial company Planet Labs. A team of two investigators claims that the Burevestnik missile is located in the Vologda-20 nuclear warhead storage facility, situated 295 miles (475 km) north of Moscow.
The missile’s placement at its supposed launch site suggests that Russia considers bringing it into service.
However, US military analysts doubt the claimed effectiveness of Burevestnik, revealed by Putin in 2018 as an “invincible” weapon with “unpredictable flight path.” Experts highlight a high risk of radiation leaks noting that the missile has had 13 failed tests compared to two partially successful launches since 2016.
Additionally, the missile’s subsonic speed makes it detectable, diminishing its advantage compared to Russia’s existing missile systems.
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