Putin says Russia successfully tested nuclear-capable cruise missile

Russia says it has successfully completed final tests of a new nuclear-powered cruise missile, the Burevestnik.

President Vladimir Putin made the announcement in a video released by the Kremlin, calling the weapon “unique.”

“The decisive tests are now complete,” Putin said, ordering preparations for its deployment.

Military officials say the missile flew over 14,000 kilometres in a 15-hour test flight earlier this month.

Known to NATO as “Skyfall,” the missile is said to have an almost unlimited range and the ability to evade current missile defences.

Putin called the missile a “unique creation that no one else in the world possesses,” but Western analysts have questioned its strategic value, suggesting it adds little to Russia’s existing arsenal.