{"id":1280046,"date":"2025-08-14T16:12:28","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T13:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/unlimited-range-and-many-questions-what-is-known-about-the-russian-9m730-burevestnik\/"},"modified":"2025-08-15T08:58:52","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T05:58:52","slug":"unlimited-range-and-many-questions-what-is-known-about-the-russian-9m730-burevestnik","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/unlimited-range-and-many-questions-what-is-known-about-the-russian-9m730-burevestnik\/","title":{"rendered":"Nuclear-Powered and Controversial: Everything Known About Russia\u2019s 9M730 \u2018Burevestnik\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Russia boasts a \u201cnuclear-powered missile with unlimited range,\u201d but behind the headlines, the 9M730 Burevestnik is mostly secret specs, failed tests, and a generous dose of risk.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Pryamy”<\/strong><\/a> has compiled an overview of this weapon, from its concept and testing to potential combat use and the estimated scale of destruction in a nuclear strike<\/p>\n

What kind of weapon is this?<\/h3>\n

The 9M730 “Burevestnik”<\/a> (NATO reporting name: SSC-X-9 Skyfall) is a strategic cruise missile equipped with a nuclear-powered mini-reactor, designed for ultra-long-range flights and capable of evading air and missile defense systems.
\nIts primary advertised feature is a “virtually unlimited range,” made possible by a nuclear reactor providing continuous thrust. The concept is similar to the U.S. SLAM\/Pluto project of the 1960s, which was ultimately canceled due to significant environmental and safety concerns.<\/p>\n

Technical specifications<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The missile\u2019s actual tactical and technical specifications have not been officially disclosed. According to open sources, its length is approximately 12 meters, while the exact weight and mass\u2013dimension characteristics of the warhead remain unknown.<\/p>\n

Public sources describe the warhead<\/a> as nuclear or thermonuclear, but no verified figures exist for its yield or weight. Any \u201cexact\u201d specifications found online should be treated as estimates or conjectures.<\/p>\n

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Conclusion<\/strong>: Any specific claims, such as \u201cweighs X tons\u201d or \u201ccarries Y kg of explosives,\u201d currently lack official confirmation. The project\u2019s secrecy and the complexity of its nuclear propulsion contribute to this uncertainty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

How a nuclear power plant works:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The main idea is that a mini-reactor heats the air\u2014or generates electricity for the propulsion system\u2014enabling the missile to fly for extremely long distances, theoretically giving it a \u201cglobal range.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, this design creates serious radiation risks:<\/p>\n