Amid new U.S. oil sanctions and a ceasefire push from President Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin staged nuclear drills and touted a successful test of Russia’s Burevestnik, a nuclear‑powered cruise missile. Gen. Valery Gerasimov said the Oct. 21 flight covered 14,000 kilometers over 15 hours, maneuvering to evade defenses; Norway reported no radiation spikes. Putin ordered deployment preparations and tied the weapon to countering a U.S. missile shield, while reiterating demands that Ukraine pull back from four annexed regions and drop NATO aims. Trump dismissed the test, urging instead a swift end to the war.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.