Vladimir Putin’s direct message to Trump’s Tomahawk threat: Unlimited-range Burevestnik missile

In what could be interpreted as a reply to US President Donald Trump’s tirade against him, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday donned a military uniform to visit one of the command posts of the joint force. The reason for his visit was to discuss the testing of the  Burevestnik nuclear-powered, unlimited-range cruise missile.

Putin’s gesture of wearing military fatigues, which he does rarely and on important events, has triggered speculations that he was responding to Trump's Tomahawk missile threat. Trump had also said there would be no in-person summit unless Putin proves he is serious about wanting peace in Ukraine.

Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov briefed Putin on "achievements at the front" and the results of strategic offensive force training.  Gerasimov then announced the test of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile that took place on October 21, reportedly covering approximately 14,000 kilometers. The Russian General Staff claims this is "not the limit" of its capabilities.

Putin called the Burevestnik "a unique model, unlike any other in the world," and claimed the missile had demonstrated its ability to evade missile defense systems. “This is a unique product, unique to the world. I remember when we announced that we were developing such a weapon, even highly qualified specialists told me that this task was unrealistic in the near future. And now the decisive tests have been completed," Putin declared.

Interestingly, the news about Burevestnik comes at a time when Trump hinted that he might give the Tomahawk cruise missile to Ukraine. The Tomahawk, which has been in the U.S. military’s inventory since the 1980s, boasts an impressive range of around 1,000 miles and precision guidance systems that make it the go-to weapon for striking targets that are deep inland or in hostile territory. It is also undetectable by air defence systems, which would make it a game-changer for Ukraine.

According to Oleg Ivannikov, an advisor to the Russian Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences, Putin has once again sent a signal to Western countries that Kyiv has no chance of winning.

Military expert Yuri Knutov called Putin's statements and gesture a response to Trump's threats to deploy Tomahawk missiles in Ukraine. “Naturally, a response was inevitable. That response was our Burevestnik, which is capable of reaching the US territory and hitting its intended target,” Knutov told Russian media URA.

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