On Monday, President Donald Trump made a striking declaration, revealing that the United States currently has a nuclear-powered submarine stationed in close proximity to Russian territory. His statement came in direct response to Moscow’s highly publicized announcement celebrating what it described as the successful testing of a new nuclear-powered cruise missile boasting virtually unlimited range. Speaking to members of the press aboard Air Force One while traveling through Asia, Trump underscored not only the technological supremacy of the American submarine fleet—calling one of its vessels “the greatest in the world”—but also its strategic purpose as a profoundly versatile weapon system capable of delivering precision strikes against any target on the globe. Emphasizing its potency and strategic location, he remarked, “It doesn’t have to go 8,000 miles,” a comment that underscored both the geographical advantage and the readiness of U.S. military assets. With typical rhetorical flourish, the president asserted that Russia was fully aware of America’s capabilities. He added that while Moscow was “not playing games” with Washington, the United States, for its part, was equally serious and continued to conduct routine missile tests as part of its defense preparedness.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after General Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, informed President Vladimir Putin of a recent test flight involving the experimental Burevestnik missile—a nuclear-powered cruise missile said to have covered a distance of approximately 14,000 kilometers, or nearly 8,700 miles. According to Gerasimov’s briefing, the missile remained airborne for around fifteen hours during this test, though he insisted that the weapon could, in theory, sustain flight for significantly longer durations. Russian state news agency Tass described the system as capable of effectively evading advanced air defense networks, emphasizing that its nuclear propulsion system could allow for an “unlimited flight range.”
Known within Russia as the 9M730 Burevestnik and classified by NATO as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall, this missile represents one of six advanced strategic weapon systems unveiled by President Putin in 2018. Driven by a miniaturized nuclear reactor that enables continuous propulsion, the Burevestnik has been portrayed as a revolutionary development theoretically capable of bypassing geographic and technological restrictions on missile range. Yet, despite the ambitious claims surrounding it, previous test attempts of the system reportedly ended in failure. For that reason, the latest news from Moscow generated heightened attention, though many international defense analysts continue to raise doubts concerning the true operational viability and strategic utility of such a weapon within Russia’s broader nuclear arsenal. Critics warn that, rather than enhancing security, such advancements could exacerbate existing tensions and further jeopardize international arms control frameworks painstakingly negotiated over decades.
Amid this emerging rivalry, a social media commentary by arms control specialist Jeffrey Lewis provided an analytical counterpoint to exaggerated depictions of the Burevestnik’s capabilities. Lewis noted that the missile operates at subsonic speeds of roughly 260 meters per second—rendering it far from invulnerable, as intercept-capable NATO aircraft could feasibly neutralize it. Nevertheless, he observed that the weapon’s continued development symbolizes an unsettling perpetuation of the global arms race, one that, in his words, “offers no victory for either side.” His sobering perspective resonated with growing concerns that new forms of nuclear experimentation may prompt another destabilizing cycle of escalation between rival powers.
In an effort to defuse misinterpretations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov subsequently stated that Russia’s latest missile test should not be interpreted as an attempt to further strain the already fragile relationship between Washington and Moscow. Nonetheless, President Trump reiterated during his remarks that the United States maintains a nuclear submarine close to Russian waters and repeated the point that “we don’t need to go 8,000 miles.” He then redirected his criticism toward President Putin, suggesting that the Russian leader should devote his attention to resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine “instead of testing missiles.”
This was not the first occasion on which Trump made references to the presence of U.S. nuclear submarines in response to discussions about Russia’s strategic capabilities. In August, he had publicly stated that he ordered two American submarines—both nuclear-powered—to assume strategic positions following provocative comments made by Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president who currently serves as deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council.
The operational details surrounding the deployment of such submarines typically remain shrouded in secrecy. The U.S. Navy very rarely discloses the location of any submarine unless doing so is intended to convey a deliberate signal of deterrence or strength to potential adversaries. While all U.S. Navy submarines utilize nuclear propulsion systems, only the ballistic missile class—designated as SSBNs, such as the Ohio-class submarines—are equipped to launch nuclear-armed Trident II missiles. These majestic yet silent vessels operate continuously on deterrence patrols across the world’s oceans, forming one leg of America’s nuclear triad. In his remarks, Trump did not specify the exact class or mission type of the submarine currently positioned near Russia, referring only to it broadly as “a nuclear submarine.”
When asked for clarification regarding the president’s comments, officials from the U.S. Navy declined to provide further information, maintaining the service’s long-standing policy of operational discretion regarding its undersea fleet.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-us-nuclear-submarine-russia-skyfall-missile-test-2025-10
