A Mysterious Explosion Took Place in Russia. What Really Happened?
Russia’s catastrophic test of a nuclear-powered missile proves that a new global arms race will mean new nuclear accidents.
On Aug. 8, 2019, Russian authorities issued a surprising announcement. Some sort of accident had occurred during a test of a missile engine near the city of Severodvinsk, along Russia’s Arctic coast. Two people died, and there had been a brief spike in radiation detected. Soon after, images and videos appeared on social media of first responders in hazmat suits, ambulances, and a helicopter for an emergency airlift. The reference to radiation was striking—tests of missile engines don’t involve radiation. Well, with one exception: In 2018, Russia announced it had tested a cruise missile powered by a nuclear reactor. It calls this missile the 9M730 Burevestnik. NATO calls it the SSC-X-9 Skyfall.
5e84bbdb886ac.jpg
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/a...=pocket-newtab
pictured-in-this-screen-grab-is-a-missile-ship-of-the-news-photo-591956654-1549484595.jpg
DY_rqOJVwAAOUJV.jpg
Burevestnik-3.jpg
https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...ruise-missile/