(Reuters) -President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Russia had tested its Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile. Here are some key facts about the weapon.

– The 9M730 Burevestnik, whose name translates as “storm petrel”, is a ground-launched, low-flying cruise missile that is not only capable of carrying a nuclear warhead but is also nuclear-powered. NATO refers to it as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall.

– Putin, who first revealed the project in March 2018, has said it has an unlimited range and can evade U.S. missile defences. But some Western experts have questioned its strategic value, saying it won’t add capabilities that Moscow does not already have, and may disgorge radiation along its flight path.

– Putin said on Sunday that the weapon was unique. Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasi

See Full Page