MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Sunday that Russia has successfully tested its new nuclear-capable and nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, describing it as a breakthrough weapon capable of evading all existing missile defense systems.

In footage released by the Kremlin, Putin — dressed in camouflage fatigues — was briefed by Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian general staff, who said the Burevestnik covered 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) during a 15-hour flight in a key test conducted Tuesday.

“That’s not the limit,” Gerasimov told the president.

Putin said the test marked a significant milestone toward deploying the weapon, which he first revealed in 2018 as part of a new generation of strategic arms designed to maintain Russia’s nuclear deterrent.

“We need to determine the possible uses and begin preparing the infrastructure for deploying these weapons to our armed forces,” he told Gerasimov.

The Burevestnik — code-named “Skyfall” by NATO — is believed to have an almost unlimited range and an unpredictable flight path due to its nuclear propulsion system, making it extremely difficult to intercept.

Western experts, however, have questioned the missile’s reliability and environmental safety, recalling a 2019 explosion at a test site on the White Sea that killed five nuclear engineers and two service members and caused a brief spike in radiation levels.

Putin’s announcement comes amid escalating nuclear signaling from Moscow, as Russia continues to resist Western pressure for a ceasefire in Ukraine and warns NATO against authorizing strikes deep inside Russian territory.

Earlier in the week, Putin oversaw large-scale drills involving all components of Russia’s nuclear triad — including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and strategic bombers — in what the Kremlin said was a test of the country’s nuclear command systems.

Kirill Dmitriev, a senior aide to Putin, said a Russian delegation in the U.S. had informed American counterparts of the Burevestnik’s “successful testing,” describing it as “an absolutely new class” of weapon.

The announcement comes as a planned summit between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on Ukraine remains on hold, amid renewed tensions over sanctions and Western weapons supplies to Kyiv. — Agencies