US researchers identify likely launch site for Russia's new nuclear-powered missile, Reuters reports
Two U.S. researchers claim to have pinpointed the likely deployment site in Russia for the 9M730 Burevestnik, a nuclear-powered cruise missile that President Vladimir Putin has hailed as "invincible."
While Putin asserts that the missile, known to NATO as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall, boasts nearly unlimited range and can outmaneuver U.S. missile defenses, some Western analysts remain skeptical, Reuters reports. They argue that the Burevestnik may not offer any new strategic advantages for Moscow and could pose a significant risk of a radioactive disaster.
Using satellite images captured on July 26 by Planet Labs, two U.S. researchers have identified a possible deployment site for Russia's 9M730 Burevestnik missile. The site is adjacent to a nuclear warhead storage facility known as Vologda-20 or Chebsara, located about 295 miles (475 km) north of Moscow.
This discovery, reported first by Reuters, was made by Decker Eveleth, an analyst at the CNA research and analysis organization. Eveleth analyzed the satellite images and spotted what appears to be nine horizontal launch pads under construction, arranged in three groups.
These pads are positioned within high protective berms, likely designed to guard against attacks or to minimize the risk of chain explosions in case of an accidental detonation. The berms are connected by roads to structures that Eveleth believes are facilities for servicing the missiles and their components, as well as to the existing complex of five nuclear warhead storage bunkers.
Eveleth said that the site is intended for a "large, fixed missile system," and noted that the only large, fixed missile system Russia is currently developing is the Skyfall.
A 2020 report from the U.S. Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center suggested that if Russia managed to deploy the Burevestnik, it would provide Moscow with a "unique weapon" capable of intercontinental range.
However, eight experts interviewed by Reuters expressed skepticism, citing the missile's troubled development history and inherent design flaws, and questioned whether its deployment would significantly alter the nuclear balance with the West and other adversaries.
Daria Svitlyk
