Kathrine Frich
Russia’s war in Ukraine has now stretched past 1,350 days, and the language coming from Moscow is growing increasingly heated.
A senior Russian lawmaker has declared that a single strike from the country’s newest nuclear-capable missile could “wipe out an entire American state,” according to Newsweek.
A chilling claim on air
During a broadcast on the state-linked Solovyov Live video channel, Andrey Gurulyov, a member of Russia’s State Duma and former deputy commander of the Southern Military District, praised the power of the Burevestnik cruise missile.
Gurulyov said the weapon could eliminate a U.S. state
“if not more,” boasting that the missile could fly anywhere in the world before hitting its target.
He described it as a system that “can stay in the air as long as needed, even circle Antarctica, then quietly approach from the south.” Gurulyov’s appearance followed the latest round of Russian military propaganda promoting advanced nuclear systems.
Moscow’s new wonder weapon
The Burevestnik, known to NATO as SSC-X-9 Skyfall, was unveiled by Vladimir Putin in 2018 among a set of next-generation weapons presented as “game-changers.”
Russian officials claim it uses a nuclear propulsion engine, giving it almost unlimited range.
In October 2023, Putin announced that the missile had completed a successful test flight. Later, in October 2025, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said the missile had traveled 14,000 kilometers during a 15-hour flight. Putin praised the weapon as “unique.”
Questions about reliability
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) reported in 2024 that the missile’s testing record was poor, with only two partial successes in at least thirteen attempts.
Western observers say Moscow’s claims have never been verified by independent sources.
Still, Gurulyov insisted the missile could “guarantee a hit on any target” and said that, if used, “the war in Ukraine could be over in 30 minutes.”
He dismissed the idea that such a move would make Russia a global outcast, claiming that “countries would line up to ally with Moscow” after witnessing its strength.
Threats and propaganda
Speaking to host Vladislav Shurygin, Gurulyov declared that each missile could carry “a payload of up to one megaton,” adding, “There was an American state, and now it has disappeared. Everything will end, there will be no one left to talk to.”
Russian journalist Julia Davis, who shared the clip on X, wrote: “State Duma deputy Andrey Gurulyov claimed that Russia could defeat Ukraine in 30 minutes.
He said Trump is weak, America is no longer great, and the Burevestnik missile can destroy an entire American state in an instant.”
Sources: Ziare.com, Newsweek, Julia Davis, NTI, Reuters
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation
