Russia has successfully carried out a test of its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile and is now preparing to deploy the weapon, President Vladimir Putin announced on Sunday, following Moscow’s second deadly overnight assault on Ukraine in as many nights.
According to Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia’s armed forces, the Burevestnik remained in flight for about 15 hours, covering nearly 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles).
He said the missile showcased “its high capabilities in evading anti-missile and anti-aircraft defences.”
Putin stated that Russia would “determine the possible ways of using it and start preparing the infrastructure for deploying this weapon,” adding that it’s a system “no one else in the world has.”
Just last week, Russia conducted what it described as a “planned” strategic nuclear forces drill, overseen by Putin.
The Kremlin said the exercise was aimed at testing command readiness and staff coordination, noting that all objectives were achieved.
Russia’s overnight assault on Ukraine
The missile announcement coincided with another wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine. More than 100 drones struck the country overnight into Sunday, devastating residential areas in Kyiv while many residents were asleep.
Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that three people were killed in the strikes, a 19-year-old girl, her 46-year-old mother, and one other victim, while 29 others, including seven children, were injured.
“The youngest is four years old,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.
President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his plea for additional Patriot air defense systems in response, emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses amid the unrelenting aerial assaults.
Scenes of destruction and survival
On Saturday night, a blaze engulfed a nine-story building in Kyiv’s Desnianskyi district, where emergency services rescued 13 residents from upper floors.
A separate Russian drone strike damaged a 16-story apartment block, shattering windows across nine floors, according to emergency crews.
Natalia Zura, 49, and her daughter Maria narrowly escaped the inferno using a fire ladder.
“We had a terrible night. We had to climb down the fire escape from the third floor. Thank you to our rescuers, our guardian angels. We are very grateful because we almost suffocated, we almost burned to death,” Zura told CNN.
Another resident, Olha Motianina, 34, returned to Kyiv from a nearby village only to find her home severely damaged.
“It’s a very sad picture. People have died, and I don’t know how to describe it. It’s very sad and affects my mental state,” she said.
In Kyiv’s Obolonskyi district, another drone strike hit a high-rise building but did not cause a fire, firefighters reported.
“Every Russian strike is an attempt to inflict as much damage as possible on ordinary life,” Zelensky said. “This week, they’ve been striking residential buildings, our people, our children… these are the main targets for the Russians.”
He revealed that in the past week alone, Russia had launched nearly 1,200 drones, over 1,360 guided aerial bombs, and more than 50 missiles on Ukrainian territory.
Interior Minister Klymenko said more than 100 rescuers and police officers were deployed in Kyiv overnight to assess damaged buildings, clear debris, and secure unstable structures.
Moscow reports drone interception
Meanwhile, Russian officials said their air defenses destroyed a drone heading toward Moscow early Sunday. The city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, confirmed the interception.
Putin also visited a command post of Russian forces on Sunday, where he met with General Gerasimov.
“The President was given a detailed report on the situation on the line of contact,” the Kremlin stated.
Renewed appeal for Patriot systems
Ukraine continues to push for a steady supply of weapons from its allies to fend off Russia’s relentless bombardments, which often involve hundreds of missiles and drones in a single night.
An earlier attack on Saturday killed at least four people, prompting Zelensky to again call for more Patriot missile systems “so that we can protect our cities from this horror.”
Trump’s faltering peace efforts
U.S. President Donald Trump has been attempting to broker peace between Moscow and Kyiv, though progress has been minimal.
After a recent phone call with Putin, Trump suggested there had been positive movement and even planned a summit in Budapest.
However, just five days later, the meeting was canceled and new sanctions on Russia were announced.
“It just it didn’t feel right to me,” Trump said Wednesday. “It didn’t feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get. So I canceled it.”
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump indicated he had no plans for another meeting with Putin soon.
“I’m going to have to know that we’re going to make a deal,” he said. “I’m not going to be wasting my time. I’ve always had a great relationship with Vladimir Putin, but this has been very disappointing.”
He added that he had thought ending the war would be simpler, “I could say almost any one of the deals that I’ve already done, I thought would have been more difficult than Russia, than Ukraine, but it didn’t work out that way.”
