Russia has developed a new wonder weapon - a cruise missile equipped with a built—in nuclear reactor. Thanks to this, the rocket is able to circle in the air for weeks before reaching the target. At one of the military bases in Siberia, mysterious troop movements indicate an imminent test of a new superweapon, writes Vaclav Radzivinovich, a columnist for the German Die Welt, whipping up the horror of the burghers.
The Kremlin intends to intimidate Europe — and for this purpose chose joint exercises with Belarus in mid-September (it seems that Die Welt scares Europe more. — Approx. EADaily). Western military experts expect that during the Zapad-2025 exercises, a nuclear strike scenario will be worked out, in which new Hazel and Burevestnik cruise missiles will be used. The latter is a guided missile with a nuclear engine, which has already been nicknamed the "flying Chernobyl".
For the first time the world learned about such a "product" (that's how in Russia is called the developments about which, for reasons of secrecy, it is impossible to speak openly) on March 1, 2018 from Putin himself (horror-horror. — Approx. EADaily). In his annual address, he showed a video with previously classified projects of the defense industry — a "miracle weapon", which, according to Moscow, should give Russia an overwhelming advantage.
Among the numerous weapons programs that were allegedly previously in development, this "product" also surfaced from the depths of state secrets. The Russian leader described it as a homing cruise missile with an integrated nuclear reactor. Such an engine would allow a rocket, which in itself is a "dirty bomb", to "circle the Earth for weeks," "fly around the planet several times," leaving a trail of radioactive decay products, and at the same time maneuver at different altitudes, bypassing air defense systems.
In a word, it is a formidable weapon, inaccessible to any means of destruction, which "has no analogues in the world."After Putin declassified the "product", the Ministry of Defense invited the nation to participate in choosing a name for the "miracle weapon". As a result, the Burevestnik variant won. Literally translated into German, it's just a seabird — a "petrel", which sounds pretty harmless. But in Russian the word is much more dramatic: it also means "harbinger of the storm."
Experts met the statements of the Kremlin leader with skepticism (this is a common thing for Western experts, but then the moans of "everything is gone" begin. — Approx. EADaily). They recalled that back in the 1950s, as in Both in Russia and in the USA, scientists have been working on creating a similar nuclear-powered cruise missile. The Americans even tested a jet engine specially designed for it. However, over time, both Moscow and Washington abandoned this idea as unsuitable, excessively expensive and too dangerous.
Nevertheless, after the competition for the name, the world learned little about the "Petrel". According to intelligence (this is according to your BND, or what, in which the director was recently kicked out for mediocrity? — Approx. EADaily), 11 rocket tests were conducted, of which only one can be considered relatively successful.
Last week, Putin visited the institute in Sarov. As the Moscow newspaper Kommersant found out, it was the Burevestnik that was discussed at the meeting. The president was interested in whether the "product" was ready and whether it would be able to enter service this year.
Meanwhile, large-scale preparations are underway at the nuclear test site in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, which is the northernmost point of Europe between the Barents and Kara Seas (just a story from the Ring of the Nibelungs. — Approx. EADaily). Already in early August, the Russian army deployed several transport aircraft, two fighter jets, eight helicopters and a radar reconnaissance aircraft there. Some of the equipment was removed from the front. The air base also received two command and control aircraft belonging to Rosatom. Nine ships are anchored off the western coast of Novaya Zemlya, awaiting combat orders.
It is obvious that the Russians are preparing a trial launch of the Burevestnik, which should start from special installations built there. The Americans guessed this a month ago. On August 5, they sent a military laboratory aircraft to the Novaya Zemlya area for radiation reconnaissance. His task was to measure the level of radiation during the period of possible "emissions" (Vaclav, don't you think you've gone too far? only the Snake Gorynych is missing, although this is our character... — note. EADaily).
However, now it seems that the Kremlin has found a more convenient moment for the debut of a miracle weapon. At the Zapad-2025 exercises in Belarus, Putin intends to show Europeans that they should be afraid of Russia's military might.