Burevestnik Missile Altering the Ukraine Russia War /Lt Col Daniel Davis & Alexander Mercouris

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The discussion focuses on Russia’s recent unveiling of the Burevestnik (“Burvesnik”) nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile, and its potential impact on global security and the war in Ukraine.

Analyst Alexander Mercouris explains that the missile’s reported ability to fly indefinitely, maneuver globally, and remain undetectable makes it a major technological breakthrough but also highly destabilizing. It does not increase Russia’s nuclear deterrent value — since strategic parity already exists — but it does add a new layer of uncertainty and potential danger.

Mercouris notes that Russia’s miniaturization of a nuclear reactor small enough to power a missile, which can start within seconds and reportedly emits no radiation, is a remarkable achievement. However, its ability to loiter undetected and strike from any direction raises tensions and risks miscalculation, especially in crisis scenarios.

He links the development of such weapons, including the Poseidon nuclear-powered underwater drone, to the collapse of global arms control treaties, such as the INF Treaty and the New START Treaty, which is set to expire soon. The absence of negotiations between Washington and Moscow has left a vacuum that encourages these destabilizing technologies.

Mercouris and the host stress that both weapons — Burevestnik and Poseidon — highlight how far arms control has unraveled since the Cold War. They urge the U.S. and Russia to renew the New START Treaty and resume dialogue to prevent escalation and restore strategic stability.

In essence, Russia’s new nuclear technologies don’t change the course of the Ukraine war directly, but they raise the global stakes, intensify nuclear anxiety, and underscore the urgent need for renewed arms control talks between major powers.