Russia has conducted a test of a new nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered long-range torpedo, President Vladimir Putin announced, a weapon that some experts have described as a potential “doomsday machine.”
The October 29 announcement came shortly after Putin and Russia’s top military officer reported a successful trial of another advanced weapon: a long-range, nuclear-powered cruise missile.
Speaking informally at a Moscow hospital while drinking tea with soldiers wounded in the Ukraine conflict, Putin said the test of the torpedo—known as Status-6 or Poseidon—took place the day before.
“For the first time, we succeeded not only in launching it from a submarine, but also in activating its nuclear power unit,” Putin said. “There is nothing like this. This is a huge success.”
There has been no independent verification of the test. However, Russia had hinted at such a weapon as early as 2015, describing it as an “intercontinental nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed autonomous torpedo.”
In a 2018 speech, Putin boasted about developing multiple advanced weapons, including the Poseidon. U.S. analysts later confirmed Russia’s plans to build it. Western experts warn that if deployed and detonated near the U.S. East Coast, the torpedo could scatter radioactive fallout across major cities and make large areas uninhabitable.
The missile tested on October 21, called Burevestnik (Skyfall in NATO terminology), is powered by a small nuclear reactor and theoretically capable of flying for hours or even days before hitting a target.
Observers have monitored Russia’s Arctic Novaya Zemlya region since mid-summer, noting construction activity, increased ship traffic, and specialized aircraft—signs that a Burevestnik test could be imminent. General Valery Gerasimov told Putin the missile traveled 14,000 kilometers and remained aloft for 15 hours.
Norway’s Intelligence Service confirmed the Burevestnik test at Novaya Zemlya, noting it flew “significantly longer than before.”
“The missile remains in development,” said Vice Admiral Nils Andreas Stensoenes. “Russia has been testing Burevestnik since 2016. It will take time before development is complete and the missile is ready for deployment.”