MOSCOW, Russia — In a significant development for Russia’s military capabilities, President Vladimir Putin announced the successful testing of a new nuclear-capable cruise missile, the Burevestnik, which is designed to evade existing defense systems. The announcement was made during a meeting with senior military officials, as shown in a Kremlin-released video on Sunday. Dressed in camouflage fatigues, Putin was briefed by General Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s Chief of General Staff, who revealed that the missile had traveled 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) during a critical test on Tuesday. The Burevestnik, also known as the Storm Petrel, remained airborne for 15 hours, with Gerasimov noting that this was not its maximum capability. Putin emphasized the need to finalize the missile’s testing and prepare the necessary infrastructure for its deployment, asserting that its nearly unlimited range and unpredictable flight path render it invulnerable to current and future missile defenses. The announcement coincided with Russia’s strategic nuclear forces conducting drills on Wednesday, which included practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles from northwestern Russia and a submarine in the Barents Sea, as well as long-range cruise missile firings by Tu-95 strategic bombers. The Kremlin stated that the exercises aimed to evaluate the proficiency of military command structures.