Researchers identify likely site for Russia’s new nuclear missile

Lauren Taylor: US RESEARCHERS SAY THEY BELIEVE THEY’VE IDENTIFIED THE PROBABLE DEPLOYMENT SITE FOR RUSSIA’S NEW NUCLEAR MISSILE –CALLED “BUREVESTNIK” – 295 MILES NORTH OF MOSCOW.

THE RESEARCHERS PINPOINTED THE LIKELY DEPLOYMENT SITE USING COMMERCIAL SATELLITE IMAGERY FROM PLANET LABS.

ANALYSTS WITH THE CNA RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, IDENTIFIED NINE HORIZONTAL LAUNCH PADS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, PROTECTED BY HIGH BERMS.

THE FINDINGS RAISE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT ESCALATING NUCLEAR TENSIONS AND THE MISSILE’S POTENTIAL IMPACT ON GLOBAL SECURITY DYNAMICS.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS TOUTED THE MISSILE AS ‘INVINCIBLE’ AND CLAIMS THE MISSILE HAS NEARLY UNLIMITED RANGE AND CAN EVADE US DEFENSES.

HOWEVER, THE MISSILE’S DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN FRAUGHT WITH CHALLENGES AND CONTROVERSY. WITH A POOR TEST RECORD – THE MISSILE HAS SEEN ONLY TWO PARTIAL SUCCESSES OUT OF AT LEAST 13 KNOWN TESTS SINCE 2016, ACCORDING TO THE NUCLEAR THREAT INITIATIVE.

CRITICS, INCLUDING FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL THOMAS COUNTRYMAN, HAVE CALLED THE WEAPON A ‘FLYING CHERNOBYL,’ SUGGESTING IT POSES A GREATER THREAT TO RUSSIA THAN TO ITS INTENDED TARGETS.

LAST WEEK, RUSSIA’S DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER SERGEI RYABKOV ANNOUNCED PLANS TO REVISE GUIDELINES ON NUCLEAR WEAPON USE, CITING WESTERN ESCALATION IN UKRAINE AS THE CATALYST.

FOR SAN, I’M LT