 Russia prepares to test a nuclear missile in the Arctic, satellite imagery and aviation data suggest that Russia may be preparing to test an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile according to the New York Times. It is noted that movements of aircraft and vehicles at and near a base in Russia's remote Arctic region are consistent with preparations that were made for tests of the missile known as the Burevestnik or SSC-X-9 Skyfall in 2017 and 2018. According to the New York Times, US surveillance planes have also been tracked in the area over the last two weeks and aviation alerts have warned pilots to avoid nearby planes. Russia previously conducted 13 known tests between 2017 and 2019, all of which were unsuccessful according to a report from the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a non-profit group focused on arms control and mishaps can be deadly. A missile launched in 2019 crashed and eventually exploded during a recovery attempt, killing seven people according to US officials. It is exotic, it is dangerous and its testing and development phase, Darryl G. Kimball, Executive Director of the Arms Control Association said, whether the Burevestnik has been tested again since 2019 isn't clear, but even with a successful launch, the missile would still be years away from operational deployment, Kimball added. According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative report, the missile is a second strike, strategic range weapon intended to be launched after a wave of nuclear strikes have devastated targets in Russia. The missile could carry a conventional warhead but, in practice, would likely carry a nuclear payload, albeit a smaller one, than most other nuclear capable weapons. If used in wartime, the missile could have the potential to destroy large urban areas and military targets, experts say.