Formally, the new weapon does not fall under the agreements with the U.S.
The advanced Russian cruise missile with a nuclear power plant, "Burevestnik," is capable of overcoming any missile defense systems, which raises concerns in the U.S. and NATO.
The Chinese publication Sohu assessed the impact of the new weapon that Russian President Vladimir Putin recently spoke about. The development is believed to change the strategic balance in the world, according to the authors of the article.
The author of the article suggested that the reference is to the "Burevestnik" cruise missile with a nuclear power plant. It is distinguished by its long range and ability to bypass any missile defense systems, and its high speed will leave the opponent no time to react.
"Burevestnik" will inevitably disrupt the existing strategic balance and become a serious deterrent factor for the United States and NATO," the publication states.
The decision to begin the development of "Burevestnik" was made in December 2001, after the U.S. withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
According to Professor Mark Galeotti, this is an old development from the Soviet era, "taken off the shelf and given new funding."
According to the newspaper Kommersant, the manufacturer of the cruise missile is the Yekaterinburg-based OKB Novator, with the involvement of specialists from the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics in Sarov.
According to the newspaper Arguments and Facts, "Burevestnik" will be adopted into service no earlier than 2027. Its combat potential is not accounted for in the extended Russian-American Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START III), which is valid until February 5, 2026.
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