Voltaire Network | 31 October 2025

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On 21 October, the Russian General Staff successfully tested a 9M730 Burevestnik cruise missile. This weapon was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his speech to Parliament on March 1, 2018. Seven years later, it is finally operational.

We wrote at the time: "Russia has a nuclear-powered engine (i.e., a nuclear power plant) that has been miniaturized to the point where it can be equipped with a nuclear-powered cruise missile. Since cruise missiles have an unpredictable trajectory and this engine has an almost infinite range, they are invincible for the moment." [1]

☞ The commissioning of the 9M730 Burevestnik paves the way for the Status-6 Poseidon underwater drones. It reverses the balance of power since, from now on, Russia has a lead over its competitors. It is no longer militarily on an equal footing with the United States, but is ahead of them. During the war in Syria, Russia’s new conventional weapons proved superior to those of NATO. During the war in Ukraine, Russia was able to mass-produce them. At the time of writing, it has become the world’s leading conventional and nuclear power.

☞ Russian President Vladimir Putin made this progress public on 26 October, i.e. between the controversy over the potential use of Tomahawks by Ukraine to strike the Kremlin and the Trump-Xi summit during which the United States was to try to break the Russian-Chinese alliance.

☞ The test was carried out at a time when the Russian army was gaining the upper hand in the battle for Pokrovsk, which it should surely win. This battle marks the defeat of "White Führer" Andriy Biletsky (who has successively commanded the Azov regiment in the Battle of Mariupol, the 3rd Assault Brigade in the Battle of Bakhmut, and the 3rd Army Corps in the Battle of Pokrovsk). In fact, this battle could be the last of this war.

☞ The United States responded to the test by announcing new nuclear tests and withdrawing its troops from Europe’s Eastern Front.

This is the editorial from our paywalled "Voltaire, international newsletter", n°149. For more information, do not hesitate to subscribe: 500€ per year.

Translation
Gregor Fröhlich

     

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[1] “The new Russian nuclear arsenal restores world bipolarity”, by Thierry Meyssan, Translation Pete Kimberley, Voltaire Network, 6 March 2018.