US researchers discover deployment site of Russian "invincible" nuclear missile – Reuters, photo

The Burevestnik nuclear-armed missile, which Vladimir Putin claims can circumvent all missile defence systems, is expected to be stationed near the Russian city of Vologda.

Source: American researchers Decker Eveleth and Jeffery Lewis, writes Reuters, as reported by European Pravda 

Details Eveleth, an analyst at the CNA research and analysis organisation, and Lewis from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey examined Planet Labs satellite images from 26 July and discovered the construction of new facilities near a nuclear warhead storage near the military town of Vologda-20.

According to Eveleth, there are nine horizontal launch sites grouped into three groups within enormous berms designed to prevent attack or detonation caused by an accidental explosion. 

He told Reuters that the facility, located 475 kilometres north of Moscow, is intended "for a large, fixed missile system and the only large, fixed missile system that they're (Russia) currently developing is the Skyfall [Burevestnik – ed.]."

Eveleth and Lewis believe that deploying the Burevestnik near Vologda, where nuclear warheads are stored, will enable the Russian military to launch missiles quickly if necessary.

The Burevestnik 9M370 system, also called as SSC-X-9 Skyfall, was initially identified in 2018. Vladimir Putin said that it has a nearly limitless range and can circumvent American missile defences, although analysts reject such claims.

According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), an advocacy group dedicated to decreasing nuclear, biological, and emergent technology hazards, the Burevestnik has a dismal test record, with at least 13 known tests and only two partial successes since 2016. During one of the unsuccessful experiments in 2019, when they attempted to recover an unsecured nuclear reactor, an explosion occurred, killing at least five people.

There is also little information regarding the Burevestnik's technical qualities. Putin claimed that the missile has an almost limitless range, although researchers estimate that it has a range of 23,000 km. In addition, they anticipate the missile will fly at subsonic speeds, allowing it to be detectable in flight.

The report on Burevestnik came after Deputy Foreign Minister Pavel Ryabkov stated that Russia would revise its nuclear doctrine based on an understanding of recent wars and Western actions in connection with the war in Ukraine.

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