Fears grow Russia could test ‘Flying Chernobyl’ nuke for Putin’s birthday

The Burevestnik is viewed as a game-changing ‘doomsday’ weapon with a range of up to 14,000 miles (Picture: Rex/east2west)

Fears are growing Vladimir Putin may order a new test of a miracle nuke capable of flying for weeks on end while probing for weaknesses in Western defences.

If so, it would be the 14th test of the Burevestnik missile – dubbed the Flying Chernobyl. The previous 13 attempts are deemed to have all failed.

Rumours have swirled it is being readied this week as a 71st birthday for Putin.

Satellite photos and aviation data suggest preparations are underway for a new test – or that one has already taken place, the New York Times reports.

The Burevestnik missile has been dubbed ‘Flying Chernobyl’ (Picture: east2west news)

Movements of aircraft and vehicles around an Arctic base have also been similar to those ahead of tests of the Burevestnik, otherwise known as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall, in 2017 and 2018, the paper adds.

Each of the 13 previous tests of the missile are deemed to have failed, including one in 2019 which led to the deaths of seven people who had attempted to salvage the top secret weapon.

They were dubbed ‘national heroes’ by the Russian president with no explanation as to how they died.

The Burevestnik is viewed as a game-changing ‘doomsday’ weapon with a range of up to 14,000 miles, meaning it can strike the US mainland from anywhere in Russia.

‌It is seen by the Kremlin as a low-flying ‘stealth’ cruise missile incapable of interception by existing Western air defences and delivering nuclear warheads anywhere around the globe.

‌Putin has called it ‘a radically new type of weaponry’ with ‘unlimited range and unlimited ability to manoeuvre’.

Putin has called it ‘a radically new type of weaponry’ (Picture: AP)

All previous tests have failed (Picture: MoD/ east2west news)

But US officials say the missile has failed to get anywhere near its estimated range, with the most successful flight thought to have lasted a mere two minutes before crashing into the sea.

Putin went public with the weapon in 2018, one of five game changing missile systems he claimed were superior to Western models.

The Moscow Times said the Burevestnik had been nicknamed the ‘Flying Chernobyl’.

‘Previous launch attempts ended unsuccessfully,’ the news outlet noted.

‘According to American intelligence, the rocket never managed to fly more than 22 miles, its longest flight lasted only two minutes.’

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‌The missile is believed to be launched by a solid-fuel rocket motor.

Then a small nuclear reactor activates in flight, which potentially allows it to stay aloft threatening Western countries almost indefinitely.

The test site is believed to be Novaya Zemlya. Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu visited the Arctic archipelago last month

Putin marks his 71st birthday on Saturday. He is seen as likely to announce he will stand in for a new six year term in an election scheduled for March.

‌Russian elections are routinely rigged, meaning his re-election is a foregone conclusion.

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