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By Christian Edwards, Nina Subkhanberdina, CNN (CNN) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has given state awards to the developers of the Burevestnik cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater torpedo, the latest signal in what analysts have cast as efforts by the Kremlin to discourage the West from supporting Ukraine. At an awards ceremony in the Kremlin on Tuesday, Putin claimed the two nuclear-powered, nuclear-capable weapons were of “historic significance” for Russia and “for the entire 21st century.” “In terms of flight range, the Burevestnik … has surpassed all known missile systems in the world,” Putin said in a speech, praising the state of Russia’s defense technology. Putin also said that Russia has begun serial production of the Oreshnik, another nuclear-capable missile. Russia used the hypersonic Oreshnik in a strike on the Ukrainian region of Dnipro in November 2024 – the first time in history an intermediate-range ballistic missile has been used in battle. The awards ceremony comes amid growing tension between Moscow and Washington, after US President Donald Trump – frustrated by Putin’s prevarications over ending the war in Ukraine – last month imposed sanctions on two Russian oil giants and cancelled a proposed summit with the Russian leader in Hungary. Days after Trump’s sanctions, Putin announced on October 26 that Russia had successfully tested the Burevestnik cruise missile. In a video released by the Kremlin, Putin – wearing military garb – was shown meeting with Russia’s chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, who told the president that the Burevestnik flew 8,700 miles (14,000 kilometers) over 15 hours. On October 28, Putin claimed the Poseidon – another “invincible” Russian weapon with a range of more than 6,000 miles (9,650 kilometers) – had been successfully tested. Neither weapon is new. Putin unveiled both weapons in 2018, and even announced a successful test of the Burevestnik in 2023. But analysts say Russia is using previously announced missile technology to send new nuclear threats to the West, and the US in particular. “The repeated emphasis on the long range of the weapon and ability to overcome any missile defense system also indicates that the intended target would be the United States, not a regional adversary that Russia could strike with much cheaper shorter-range systems,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said in a report published Tuesday. The report noted the Trump administration’s plan to build a “Golden Dome” missile defense system to shield the US from foreign attacks. Although Putin did not explicitly reference the Golden Dome in his October 26 announcement of the Burevestnik test, he has repeatedly stressed the missile’s ability to evade missile defenses. “Putin is using this test to create fear in the United States to discourage US decisionmakers from pursuing policies that threaten Russian interests,” the CSIS report said. The awards ceremony in the Kremlin comes days after Trump ordered the resumption of US nuclear weapons tests. The US president said he gave the order “because of other countries’ testing programs.” In his speech Tuesday, Putin claimed that Russia “is not threatening anyone.” “Russia, like all other nuclear powers, is developing nuclear potential and its strategic potential. Everything we have been talking about now is work that was announced long ago,” he said.
