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Russia preparing to test nuclear-powered cruise missile: Report
Ukraine's intelligence service spokesperson said that if the test is successful, Russia may use the cruise missile to bolster its negotiating power.
Russia is in preparations to test its new nuclear-powered cruise missile, Reuters reported citing the Ukrainian military intelligence.
The written statement to Reuters on the test by the spokesperson for the Ukrainian intelligence service Andriy Yusov came ahead of the talks between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Yusov said if the test proves to be successful, the country might use the nuclear-capable cruise missile to bolster its negotiating power with the West.
Yusov did not specify the timing for the test in the statement. Reuters had earlier stated in a report on Tuesday that Russia was preparing to test its 9M730 Burevestnik cruise missile.
The report further stated that the test for Burevestnik would be held at the Pankovo test site on the Barents Sea archipelago of Novaya Zemlya, according to two US researchers and a Western security source.
Russia will leverage test results in negotiations, says Ukrainian intelligence service spokesperson
Yusov, who said that Russia was preparaing for “another round of tests of the 9M730 Burevestnik”, said that Moscow would use it as a diplomatic leverage on the negotiating table.
“The purpose of these tests is to validate scientific and technical solutions implemented by the missile,” Yusov said.
Putin had earlier termed the weapon as “invincible” to missile defences, saying it had an almost unlimited range and unpredictable flight path.
However, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative advocacy group, the Burevestnik has had a poor test record till now, gaining only two partial successes from 13 known tests.
