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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Politics
Rachael Burford

Putin ‘prepares nuclear-armed missile test' ahead of Trump talks on Ukraine

A Western security source said preparations appeared to be under way for another Burevestnik test - (via REUTERS)

Satellite images suggest Vladimir Putin has begun preparations to test a nuclear-armed cruise missile ahead of his crunch meeting with Donald Trump on Ukraine.

The pictures show heightened activity at Russia’s nuclear test site on Novaya Zemlya, a remote archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.

An increase in personnel, equipment and ships has been seen at the site this week, as well as aircraft linked to previous trials of the 9M730 Burevestnik “Storm Petrel” low-flying, nuclear-powered cruise missile.

A Western security source said preparations appeared to be under way for another Burevestnik test.

Moscow claims the missile has an unlimited range.

(via REUTERS)

Jeffrey Lewis, a researcher at the California-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies who analysed the satellite images, said: “We can see all of the activity at the test site, which is both huge amounts of supplies coming in to support operations and movement at the place where they actually launch the missile.”

He added that a test could take place as early as this week.

It comes as Donald Trump departed for his crucial summit with Putin after declaring the Russian president is “not going to mess around with me”.

The leaders are set to hold talks at a US military base in Alaska on Friday with the aim of negotiating a potential ceasefire in Ukraine.

The discussions are scheduled to begin at 11.30am local time (8:30pm BST) in Anchorage.

Trump departed Washington aboard Air Force One at around 1pm UK time and posted "HIGH STAKES!!!" as a status on his “Truth Social” online platform.

Trump departed Washington aboard Air Force One on his way to meet Putin in Alaska (Getty Images)

He told reporters on Air Force One that "something is going to come" of his meeting with the Russian president. Asked about security guarantees, Trump said the US could be involved, "along with Europe and other countries".

But he suggested this would not be in the form of NATO membership for Ukraine, saying there are "certain things that are not gonna happen".

The US president also claimed that Putin "wants a piece" of the US economy, but said there would be no trade deal until “we get the war settled”.

Ahead of the talks, Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was "counting on America”.

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