Russian State Media Threat: Can the Burevestnik Missile Wipe Out an Entire US State?

The world is once again on edge following aggressive rhetoric from Russian state media.A senior Russian lawmaker has issued a chilling nuclear-capable missile threat, claiming Moscow’s newly tested Burevestnik cruise missile could obliterate an entire U.S. state. This pronouncement is not just a headline; it’s a calculated move in a renewed geopolitical standoff.

The Lawmaker’s Boast: A Megaton Threat

he extraordinary claim came from State Duma deputy Andrey Gurulyov during a segment on the Russian talk show Solovyov Live. Gurulyov, a former military commander, did not mince words, boasting that each missile carries enough firepower to “wipe out an entire American state, if not more.”He emphasized the weapon’s key tactical advantage: unlimited range and endurance, enabling it to fly for as long as necessary, circle the globe, and approach from unexpected directions, effectively bypassing existing missile defense systems.
Gurulyov stated: “If the situation escalates, each missile can carry a charge of up to a megaton, this means (if launched) that one state is gone. There was an American state and now it’s gone.”

Key Semantic Entities:

• Andrey Gurulyov:

The source of the Russian State Media Threat.• Wipe Out Entire US State: The core, frightening boast/threat.
Decoding the Burevestnik Missile (SSC-X-9 Skyfall)The weapon at the center of this controversy is the Burevestnik missile (NATO reporting name: SSC-X-9 Skyfall).2 It’s a low-flying, nuclear-capable cruise missile designed for intercontinental reach.

Unique Claims and Features:

Nuclear Propulsion: Its defining feature is a small, onboard nuclear reactor that provides a virtually unlimited range, allowing it to loiter in the air indefinitely.This is a massive leap over conventional fuel-limited cruise missiles.•

Unpredictable Trajectory: Moscow claims the nuclear propulsion allows the missile to take complex, low-altitude, and unpredictable flight paths, making it “invincible” to missile defense systems.

• Strategic Revelation: It was first unveiled by President Vladimir Putin in 2018 as one of six “game-changer” strategic weapons developed in response to the U.S.withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

Geopolitics and the Propaganda Machine

While Gurulyov’s threats sound apocalyptic, they are viewed by many Western analysts as a clear example of Kremlin Propaganda.The Dual Purpose of the Threat:

1.Promote Capabilities: The pronouncements are part of a government-approved narrative to promote the weapon’s capabilities, particularly following a claimed successful flight test in October 2023.7 Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, stated the 9M730 Burevestnik flew 8,700 miles during a 15-hour flight, highlighting its endurance.8
2. Deter Western Support: The nuclear rhetoric, which also included Gurulyov’s claim that Russia could defeat Ukraine in “30 minutes,” is intended to discourage the West, particularly the U.S., from providing continued support to Kyiv.

Also Read: Iran is Cornered, and the Regime’s Desperation Poses a Direct Threat to the West

Testing Reality vs.Rhetoric

Despite the boasts, the development of the Burevestnik missile has been fraught with difficulty. The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) reported in 2024 that the weapon had a poor test record, noting only two partial successes out of at least 13 known tests. The concept of a nuclear-powered cruise missile is not new; the U.S. pursued a similar (and ultimately canceled) idea decades ago known as Project Pluto, partly due to the high radiological risk.

FAQs

Call to Action.

The escalation of nuclear rhetoric requires continuous vigilance.
What do you think is the real-world strategic value of the Burevestnik missile?
Share your thoughts and concerns in the comments below, and subscribe to our newsletter for up-to-the-minute analysis on global military developments.