Burevestnik testing period extended till September 6

Russia continues to keep the airspace along the west-coast of Novaya Zemlya closed and the U.S. Air Force "nuke sniffer" is back again over the Barents Sea.

Russia on Tuesday informed civilian aviation that the warning launched on August 28 now will last until September 6, according to the Bluesky observer @puca.bsky.social‬. The area closed for air traffic is the expected flight path for the Burevestnik missile. On Tuesday, a U.S. Air Force WC-135R Constant Phoenix flew into the eastern part of the Barents Sea. The plane carries sensors with ability to detect radioactive particles in real time.

At Pankovo, Russia’s test site for the Burevestnik nuclear-powered missile, activities have been in full swing since July. Rosatom’s weapons designers have likely already conducted several launches of the reactor, possible both from an on-ground test bench outdoors and in a real-flight environment. In both cases, with air flowing through the reactor, radioactive particles will be spread. Analysing the composition of the isotopes can give the United States an idea of how the reactor design and operations work. The Burevestnik, if tests are successful, will be deployed as a second-strike weapon.

Armed with a nuclear warhead, the missile gives Russia the ability to strike back with nuclear weapons if most other nuclear missiles and bombers are taken out. When Vladimir Putin for the first time presented the idea in public, he said it would be “invincible” to any missile defense systems, since it can navigate after launch and has an “almost unlimited” intercontinental range.