Dangerous "Petrel": why does Putin have a missile with a nuclear engine, and does it threaten Ukraine

But why does Moscow need these weapons — and should Ukraine be afraid? Analyst of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Patrytsia Bazylczyk published a material about the newest Russian weapon designed to "sow fear" in the West. The study singled out details related to the goals of the Russian Federation in relation to the USA and Ukraine.

According to the Kremlin's official version, "Petrel" is a response to the development of the American anti-missile defense system, in particular the "Golden Dome" program. And although Putin did not directly mention the initiative of the American President Donald Trump, in the statement about the test of the "Petrel" from October 26, he emphasized that the missile can overcome the current anti-missile defense system.

That is why, according to him, Moscow is forced to develop "uninterceptable" missiles capable of bypassing any anti-missile system. The missile, as stated, has a nuclear power plant that provides an almost unlimited flight range, more precisely more than 14 thousand kilometers. In fact, it can fly around the globe, choosing a route outside the observation zones of radars.

According to the analyst, the purpose of such weapons is to demonstrate that Russia is still capable of a guaranteed strike in return even with advanced missile defense. The "Golden Dome" will in no way make nuclear weapons powerless and obsolete. On the contrary, Russia retains the ability to attack the United States with a significant number of its strategic forces, both with the use of these new delivery systems and without them," Basilchyk claims.

Experts note that the use of the "Petrel" in the Ukrainian direction does not make military sense. First, the missile is intended for strategic purposes - intercontinental strikes on distant enemies.

Second, launching such a weapon near a combat zone creates huge risks of radiation contamination in the event of a fall or military analysts are sure that Putin's main goal is psychological pressure on the United States and the West, and the demonstration of a new missile coincided with discussions of possible deliveries of American cruise missiles. Thus, Russia is trying to respond symmetrically, even at the level of threats.

conventional and nuclear escalation in order to make it clear about a possible response to the transfer of conventional Tomahawks or other long-range strike weapons to Ukraine by the United States," says the analytical report. Thus, the Stormwind remains more of a political tool than a real combat system. The missile symbolizes a return to the logic of the Cold War, when the demonstration of force was more important than its use, Basilchyk summarized.