On October 26th, local time, Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian President's special representative, stated that the United States had been informed of Russia's successful test launch of the Petrel nuclear-powered cruise missile. During his talks with relevant US officials, he conveyed Russian President Vladimir Putin's position that only constructive and mutually respectful dialogue can produce results.
Dmitriev also stated that Russian State Duma deputies will hold talks with US members of Congress in the near future.
On October 26th, local time, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitriev stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected a command post of a Russian joint forces group and held meetings with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and commanders of various groups to receive reports on the situation on the front lines.
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A video released by the Kremlin shows Putin, dressed in camouflage, listening to a briefing from Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, who explained that the missile flew continuously for 15 hours and covered 14,000 kilometers during the test on Tuesday, October 21st.
Gerasimov added that a 15-hour flight performance is far from reaching its limit, suggesting the missile has a longer endurance.
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Unpredictable Weapon
The Petrel missile project has been shrouded in secrecy since it was first unveiled by Putin in his State of the Nation address in 2018. At the time, Putin claimed the missile had "almost unlimited range" and could flexibly adjust its flight path to circumvent enemy missile defenses and achieve stealth penetration.
However, Western experts are skeptical of its reliability, believing that nuclear-powered engine technology is highly unstable and could pose a serious environmental threat. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union attempted to develop similar weapons, but these projects were ultimately shelved due to technological immaturity and safety concerns.
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In August 2019, a Petrel exploded during a test in the White Sea, killing five nuclear engineers and two service members and causing a brief increase in radioactivity levels in nearby cities.
After the accident, Russian officials never explicitly mentioned the weapon involved, but US intelligence agencies concluded at the time that it was a Petrel missile.
Upgrading Nuclear Deterrence
The test announcement came as Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian President's special representative, was visiting the United States. He revealed that the delegation had informed the US side of the successful test of the Petrel missile, emphasizing that the weapon was of a "new class" and would reshape the strategic balance.
Prior to the missile test, Putin ordered exercises of Russia's strategic nuclear forces earlier last week, during which simulated missile launches were conducted.
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The Kremlin said the exercises covered all components of the "nuclear triad," including test launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles from a launch site in northwestern Russia, launch drills involving nuclear submarines in the Barents Sea, and the launch of long-range cruise missiles from Tu-95 strategic bombers.
Russia stated that the exercises effectively tested the coordinated operational capabilities of its military command system. Previously, Russia had repeatedly warned the United States and NATO not to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons capable of striking the Russian mainland.
