Burevestnik Test Site Humming With Activity
Russia is poised to conduct tests of its nuclear-powered, nuclear-capable cruise missile 9M730 Burevestnik NATO’s SSC-X-9 Skyfall on the same day that President Vladimir Putin prepares to meet with US President Donald Trump on Friday in Alaska.
Two American researchers, the Middlebury Institute of International Studies’ Jeffrey Lewis and the CNA research and analysis think tank’s Decker Eveleth, and a Western security source independently analyzed satellite pictures indicating increased activity at the Pankovo testing range on the Barents Sea islands of Novaya Zemlya. Planet Labs commercial satellite imagery captured widespread equipment, troop movements, and vessels and aircraft involved in earlier Burevestnik tests.
We see big volumes of equipment coming in and activity at the launch pad itself,” Lewis pointed out, giving an indication of the scope of preparations. The scientists reported several planes suited for data collection standing at the Rogachevo military airbase since mid-July, as well as a few ships associated with earlier missile tests.
Missile’s Strategic Role and Controversies
The Burevestnik missile, which Putin called “invincible” against existing and future missile defenses, has nearly unlimited range and unstable trajectory. Development of the Burevestnik has gained new importance for Russia after Trump’s revelation of the US Golden Dome missile shield early this year.
Yet, most arms control specialists doubt the missile’s effectiveness based on its poor test history. Of 13 known tests, just two were partial successes, reports the Nuclear Threat Initiative. The missile can also spread radioactive material along its path, raising grave safety concerns, experts point out.
Though the test would have been scheduled long in advance of the Trump-Putin summit announcement, analysts say Putin may reschedule to transmit political messages about arms control negotiations or the conflict in Ukraine. Tom Countryman, a former acting US undersecretary for arms control, clarified, “Sometimes you can push up or push down the schedule for a political reason.”
International Monitoring and Warnings
Test preparations have not escaped notice. Russia published notices to mariners and aviation warnings early in August, warning of closed areas between August 9 and 22. The Barents Sea was confirmed as a target area for missile tests by Norwegian military sources and saw indications of test preparation, although they did not identify the projectiles involved.
Eveleth and Lewis followed activity on the site from the end of July, noting the protective canopy for the Burevestnik launcher being moved an unmistakable sign of a pending test. Photos on August 7 reveal cranes transferring containers, troops on the site, and a helicopter in operation.
The White House did not issue a comment on the possible test, and the Pentagon, CIA, and Russia’s defense ministry did not respond. The missile test, if it took place, would dominate the Alaska summit, injecting yet another layer of tension into the already volatile US-Russia meeting as the war rages on in Ukraine.
With the Burevestnik’s contentious abilities, its testing now holds strategic and political importance, demonstrating Russia’s determination to develop its nuclear capabilities while retaining influence in international diplomacy.
