Military analyst Igor Korotchenko believes that once the Treaty on the Reduction of Strategic Offensive Arms expires, Moscow should move ahead with deploying the Barguzin combat railway missile system. He argued that if the United States walks away from the agreement, Russia will have to decide on launching serial production of the Barguzin BZhRK and putting it on combat duty within the Strategic Missile Forces.

Korotchenko recalled that outwardly the Barguzin train is indistinguishable from a regular rail convoy. At the same time, such «nuclear trains», as he described them, are capable of delivering a nuclear missile strike against a potential adversary at any moment and at any point along their route. In his view, tracking their movements using enemy reconnaissance satellites is practically impossible.

The analyst added that the intercontinental ballistic missile intended for the Barguzin system is largely unified with the already proven solid-fuel ICBM Yars and the Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile. This, he noted, would simplify the system’s introduction into service. Korotchenko argues that to maintain strategic balance with the United States, as well as with the United Kingdom and France, Russia would need to deploy at least five such Barguzin railway missile complexes.