A June 2026 MIT analysis by researchers Jake Hecla and R. Scott Kemp concluded that Russia's Burevestnik missile — known to NATO as 'Skyfall' — is powered by a small nuclear reactor that continuously spews radiation during flight, contaminating the territory it passes over. The analysis followed a test flight conducted on 21 October 2025 over the Arctic Circle, which the researchers assess to be the first confirmed flight of a nuclear-powered aircraft. Hecla described the design as 'almost certainly a terrible idea' but technically feasible, warning that the test marks 'an extraordinarily dangerous new chapter in the 21st century's simmering arms race'.
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