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MOSCOW -- Russia has conducted a successful test of a new atomic-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drone, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday, declaring that the new weapon can't be intercepted. Putin's statement, which comes three days after he praised a successful test of a new nuclear-powered cruise missile, appears to be another message to U.S. President Donald Trump that Russia is standing firm in its maximalist demands on Ukraine. Speaking at a meeting with soldiers wounded in Ukraine, Putin said the Poseidon drone was tested while running on nuclear power for the first time Tuesday, describing it as unmatched in speed and depth. He said the nuclear reactor that powers Poseidon is "100 times smaller" than those on submarines, and the power of its nuclear warhead is "significantly higher than that of our most advanced Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile." Putin first mentioned the underwater nuclear-powered drone in his 2018 state-of-the-nation address along with other prospective weapons. Russian media reported that Poseidon was designed to explode near coastlines and unleash a powerful radioactive tsunami. Putin didn't say where the trials were conducted or give any other details. Russian media reports said the Poseidon is designed to travel at a speed of up to 124 mph, significantly faster than any existing torpedoes or warships. With nuclear power giving it unlimited range, the drone's speed and depth make it hard for an enemy to locate. Putin also revealed new details about the Burevestnik cruise missile, saying its nuclear reactor is "1,000 times smaller" than one on a submarine, and starts in minutes, unlike a submarine reactor that takes hours to launch. He described the design of the miniature nuclear engine powering the missile as an engineering breakthrough and a "huge achievement." On Sunday, Russia's chief military officer, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, reported to Putin that an Oct. 21 test of Burevestnik was a complete success. The missile covered 8,680 miles during a 15-hour flight using nuclear fuel and conducted maneuvers "demonstrating its high capabilities in evading missile and air defense systems," Gerasimov said. The Burevestnik, which means "storm petrel" in Russian, is the world's first nuclear-powered missile. That propulsion gives it virtually unlimited range, allowing it to loiter for days, circling enemy air defenses and attacking from an unexpected direction. Putin has described the Burevestnik and the Poseidon as part of a Russian response to the U.S. missile shield that Washington has developed after its 2001 withdrawal from a Cold War-era U.S.-Soviet pact that limited missile defenses.
