November 3, 2025, 4:27 am
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Apologies for the sound quality on this one – there will be a significant improvement next week as I switch equipment.
Another week, another Russian nuclear superweapon – but this time, it’s a bit of a head scratcher. The new Burevestnik missile essentially revives a concept (the intercontinental cruise missile) that both the USSR and USA discarded back in the 1960s.
Despite its intimidating NATO reporting name (SSC-X-9 Skyfall), Russia’s nuclear powered cruise missile is arguably worth looking at not so much because of what it can do, but because of what it likely can’t.
The question of why a country would choose to fund something like this over and above thousands of other much reasonable and urgent priorities gives us a chance to dig into Russia’s priorities and the historical tendency of many states to back blingy superweapons at the expense of more boring, useful investments.
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/PerunAU
Reading and Sourcing (partial):
TASS – Lavrov on Skyfall
https://tass.com/politics/2036255
TASS reports on Burevstnik
https://tass.com/defense/2036919
https://tass.com/defense/2035553
https://tass.com/defense/2036907
CSIS – Breaking Down Russian Missile Salvos: What Drives Neutralization?
https://www.csis.org/analysis/breaking-down-russian-missile-salvos-what-drives-neutralization
RUSI – The evolution of Russian nuclear doctrine
https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/occasional-papers/evolution-russian-nuclear-doctrine
2019 Test reported in Russian media
https://tass.com/defense/1045012
Alexey Leonkov – Nuclear Burevestnik: New Cruise Missile to Become a "Weapon of Vengeance" (2019)
https://rg.ru/2019/07/18/iadernyj-burevestnik-novaia-krylataia-raketa-stanet-oruzhiem-vozmezdiia.html
Reporting on Skyfall (Western media)
https://www.twz.com/nuclear/skyfall-nuclear-powered-cruise-missile-long-range-test-claimed-by-russia
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/world/europe/putin-trump-ukraine-russia-nuclear-weapons.html
https://global.espreso.tv/military-news-russia-launches-burevestnik-missile-from-arctic-archipelago-norwegian-intel
https://www.euronews.com/2025/10/26/testing-of-unique-new-russian-weapon-successful-says-putin
https://www.forcesnews.com/russia/everything-you-need-know-about-russias-nuclear-powered-burevestnik-cruise-missile
2019 Test
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49319160
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/News/video/concerns-grow-radiation-detected-norway-missile-explosion-russia-65030084
Potential resumption of US nuclear testing
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-asks-pentagon-immediately-start-testing-us-nuclear-weapons-2025-10-30/
Reporting on potential skyfall launch site 2024
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-researchers-find-probable-launch-site-russias-new-nuclear-powered-missile-2024-09-02/
Reporting on Putin 2018 speech
https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-set-give-annual-address-amid-presidential-election-campaign/29069948.html
Poseidon Nuclear Drone segment on Russian TV
https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/05/04/what-is-russia-s-poseidon-nuclear-drone-and-could-it-wipe-out-the-uk-in-a-radioactive-tsun
Caveats & Comments:
All normal caveats and comments apply. In particular – I would like to note as always that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete or comprehensive examination of the topic in question and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other similar decisions.
Any content relating to the conduct, views, activities or any aspect of any person or character in this video is included for entertainment purposes and does not represent an assertion of fact on those matters or any matters in relation to that person or character.
Care has been taken in compiling data, quotes, and other inputs from various sources but errors can occur. Quotes and included data should be considered illustrative, not definitive and their veracity should not be relied on.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Opening Words
01:50 — What Am I Talking About?
03:51 — Burevestnik
13:35 — What is It Capable of?
27:07 — Why is It Stupid?
37:48 — What if It Did Work?
47:24 — Hallmarks of Superweapon Syndrome
57:19 — What Next?
58:33 — Channel Update
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