Burevestnik stayed in air for 15 hours, defence minister tells Vladimir Putin; Ukrainian drones close Moscow airports. What we know on day 1,342See all our Ukraine war coverageVladimir Putin claimed Russia had successfully tested its Burevestnik cruise missile – said to be both powered by a nuclear engine and capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. It has been called a “flying Chornobyl” by arms control experts because it is powered by a nuclear reactor and, depending on the design, potentially spews out radioactive exhaust as it flies.On the weekend, Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, told Putin the missile travelled 14,000km (8,700 miles) and was in the air for about 15 hours when it was tested on 21 October. The Burevestnik has been dubbed the SSC-X-9 Skyfall by Nato. Russia has regularly threatened that the Ukraine war could go nuclear, for example if allies join Ukraine on the battlefield or provide it with long-range strike weapons as they have done.A major nuclear accident in August 2019 killed five Russian scientists who were suspected to have been working on the Burevestnik or something similar. The incident released radiation into surrounding areas. That November, awarding posthumous decorations to the victims’ families, Putin said they had been working on an “unparalleled” weapon