Vladimir Putin: There has never been a weapon like the new cruise missile.Image: keystone
Russia is working on a nuclear-powered cruise missile. US researchers warn of radioactive risks – even before a possible impact.
June 21, 2026, 2:28 p.mJune 21, 2026, 2:28 p.m
Russia’s new cruise missile could leave a radioactive trail every time it is used. Two researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have decoded the technology of the 9M730 Burevestnik for the first time and discovered that the cruise missile uses an open nuclear engine. The cruise missile, which NATO calls “Skyfall,” would not only be dangerous with a possible nuclear warhead.
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin announced the system in 2018. It is said to be nuclear powered and equipped with a nuclear warhead. In October 2025, the Kremlin reported a successful test flight over around 14,000 kilometers.
The strength of the system would therefore not lie in its particular speed, but in its endurance. Unlike traditional cruise missiles, the Burevestnik would not be limited by fuel carried. It could theoretically remain airborne for many hours or even days.
Air flows past the reactor
According to the researchers, the weapon is 9.5 meters long with a wingspan of around 5.6 meters. It is intended to fly at high subsonic speeds, similar to other cruise missiles.
According to the researchers, the drive works in a simplified manner like a jet engine. The incoming air is therefore not heated by kerosene, but by the heat of a nuclear reactor. Unlike a closed system, there appears to be no heat exchanger separating the reactor from the air flow. This could result in radioactive substances being produced during the flight and entering the atmosphere in the exhaust gases.
Tests, crashes and rescue work would be particularly dangerous. The Njonoksa accident in 2019, in which five Rosatom employees died and elevated radiation levels were measured, is seen by experts as a possible indication of these risks.
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