Russia’s Burevestnik (NATO: “Skyfall”) nuclear-reactor-powered cruise missile, long believed to be a ground-launched weapon, may have been tested from a Tu-95MS bomber in the Far East – not on the Arctic island of Novaya Zemlya, as previously assumed – according to a new report by state-run Russia 1 (Rossia 1) TV.

The revelation came during a broadcast showing what appeared to be a covered missile being loaded onto a Tu-95 at the Ukrainka air base in the Amur Region.

The footage aired on Sunday, Oct. 26, just hours after Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had completed “decisive tests” of the Burevestnik and was preparing it for deployment.

The Russia 1 report featured a carefully edited montage linking several separate events.

The first clip showed a missile covered with fabric being loaded onto a bomber, as the narrator said: “This was the test of the new weapon.”

The second was a flashback to Oct. 10, when Putin in Tajikistan hinted at testing a new system without naming it.

The third showed Putin on Oct. 26, alongside General Valery Gerasimov, announcing that Russia had completed “decisive tests” of the Burevestnik and was beginning work on its deployment.

After the sequence, the reporter concluded: “Now it’s clear which missile he was talking about.”

The media outlet Agentstvo. Novosti later analyzed the Russia 1 footage and pointed out that the segment with the mysterious object had aired on Oct. 22, describing it as a “training flight” of a strategic bomber.

Meanwhile, Putin’s Sunday statement indicated that the Burevestnik test was conducted on Oct. 21.

According to Agentstvo, the difference in dates may be due to the time zone gap between Moscow and Russia’s Far East.

Meanwhile, Western observers, who had been closely monitoring Novaya Zemlya as the anticipated launch site for the NATO-named Skyfall missile, reported no signs of activity there and questioned whether the test had occurred at all.

Based on this reasoning, the analysis concluded that the Burevestnik might be an air-launched missile rather than one launched from a ground-based site.

Neither Russia’s Defense Ministry nor open-source investigators have confirmed the test. Western monitors also reported no signs of a launch from Novaya Zemlya, which had been under close satellite observation.

If confirmed, the Russia 1 version would mean the Burevestnik could be launched from aircraft rather than from ground-based systems, potentially expanding its range and unpredictability.

The Tu-95 bomber can carry up to 20 tons of weapons, though experts question whether the Burevestnik’s large size and special wing design make it compatible. Analysts estimate the missile’s length at 9 to 12 meters, speed at up to 900 km/h, and weight exceeding that of the Kh-101 cruise missile.

On Sunday, Oct. 26, Putin announced that Russia had completed “decisive tests” of the Burevestnik and was preparing it for deployment.

He has described the nuclear-powered missile as “a unique system unmatched anywhere in the world,” claiming it flew 14,000 kilometers in 15 hours during its test.

Under development for more than a decade, the missile is said to use a small nuclear reactor to power its engine – theoretically allowing it to remain airborne for days while evading global missile defenses.

Western intelligence reports have long questioned the project’s success. Between 2017 and 2019, Russia reportedly conducted at least 13 test attempts, most of which failed, according to Nuclear Threat Initiative, a non-commercial group specializing in armament control.

One ended in a deadly explosion in the Barents Sea in 2019 that killed seven scientists and caused a brief spike in radiation across northern Europe.