9M730 Burevestnik

The Burevestnik (Russian: Буревестник; "Storm petrel" GRAU: 9М730, NATO reporting name: SSC-X-9 Skyfall) is a Russian low-flying, nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile under development for the Russian Armed Forces. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the missile's range is effectively unlimited. The Burevestnik is one of the six new Russian strategic weapons unveiled by Russian president Vladimir Putin in 2018. This effort bears similarity to the discontinued US Project Pluto (1957–1964), which although functional, was considered more provocative, costly, ineffective, and radioisotope-emitting than intercontinental ballistic missiles. According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative in 2024, "Burevestnik has a poor test record of at least 13 known tests, with only two partial successes, since 2016". In 2019, an explosion during a test caused the Nyonoksa radiation accident, killing five people and injuring others. According to Russian chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, the missile flew 14,000 kilometres (8,700 mi) in a 15-hour flight, averaging 75% of the speed of sound, on 21 October 2025. It is considered the first nuclear-powered missile and nuclear-powered aircraft.