Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday, October 29, that Russia had successfully carried out a test of its nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, known as Poseidon — marking the country’s second advanced nuclear weapons test in just a matter of days.
The announcement came shortly after Putin personally oversaw the launch of another nuclear-capable weapon, the Burevestnik cruise missile, which he described as having an “unlimited range.” U.S. President Donald Trump had criticized that earlier test as “not appropriate.”
“Yesterday, another test was conducted of a promising system — the unmanned underwater vehicle ‘Poseidon,’ also equipped with a nuclear power unit,” Putin said in televised remarks during a visit to a military hospital treating Russian soldiers injured in Ukraine.
Putin boasted that the Poseidon drone is impossible to intercept, capable of outpacing conventional submarines and reaching any continent, emphasizing that no other nation currently possesses similar technology.
According to Russia’s state news agency TASS, the Poseidon can dive over one kilometre deep and travel up to 70 knots, remaining virtually undetectable. First tested in 2018, the drone is said to be able to carry a nuclear warhead of up to two megatons.
Putin’s latest announcement directly challenges Trump’s renewed calls for Moscow to prioritize ending the war in Ukraine, now nearing its fourth year.
“He ought to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now soon in its fourth year,” Trump remarked earlier this week.
In response to Russia’s continued military escalation, Washington recently cancelled a planned summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest, citing the Kremlin’s refusal to compromise on Ukraine. The U.S. has also imposed new sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil firms, accusing Moscow of obstructing peace efforts.
Putin first unveiled both the Burevestnik missile and the Poseidon underwater drone in 2018, during a defiant address showcasing Russia’s growing strategic military power and condemning Western influence.
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