Putin says Russia completed tests of nuclear-powered cruise missile

Russia has completed the decisive tests of its Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday.

"Much work remains to be done to put these weapons on combat duty ... Nevertheless, the key objectives have now been achieved," Putin said during a meeting with military commanders.

In his briefing with Putin, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said the Burevestnik missile completed a 14,000-km test flight that lasted around 15 hours on Tuesday, adding that the range could be longer.

The test demonstrated the missile's "high capabilities for evading anti-missile and air defense systems," Gerasimov said.

The 9M730 Burevestnik (Storm Petrel), dubbed SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO, is a Russian low-flying, nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile. It is said to have unlimited range and can evade missile defenses.