 "Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a forum organised by the All-Russia People's Front political movement, in Moscow, Russia July 6, 2025. Source: Reuters")
Ahead of the Alaska summit with US President Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin is ready for a show of strength with the test-launch of a nuclear missile.
A Western security source and independent analysts told Reuters that Russia is prepared for to test-launch nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered Burevestnik missile.
Satellite imagery taken in recent weeks has shown extensive preparations for the test-launch at Pankovo test site on the Barents Sea archipelago of Novaya Zemlya. If Putin goes ahead of the launch, it would serve as a show of force ahead of the summit with Trump and defiance of his calls for a ceasefire.
The Burevestnik missile can hit anywhere in the world. It flies at an extremely low-altitude flight for enhanced stealth with the evasion of radars. It follows unpredictable flight paths and has near-indefinite loiter time, allowing it to circle targets and approach from unexpected directions. It has been designed as Russia’s response to Western air defence systems, including the American ‘Golden Dome’ under development.
Watch: Russia’s preparations to test-launch Burevestnik
Satellite imagery captured by Planet Labs shows extensive activity at the Pankovo test site, including increases in personnel and equipment and ships and aircraft associated with earlier tests of the Burevestnik missile, Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and Decker Eveleth of the CNA research and analysis organisation told Reuters.
They said the imagery showed stacks of shipping containers, equipment, and personnel arriving at the place since late July.
Lewis said that two aircraft equipped to gather test data had been parked at the Novaya Zemlya’s Rogachevo military airfield since mid-July. He further said that at least five ships associated with previous tests were in the area and Reuters reported that a ship-tracking website showed that a sixth ship linked to earlier tests was due to arrive on Tuesday.
“We can see all of the activity at the test site, which is both huge amounts of supplies coming in to support operations and movement at the place where they actually launch the missile,” said Lewis.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsA Western security source further said that Russia is preparing for a Burevestnik test.
Lewis said that Russia could conduct the test this week that could overshadow the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.