Putin Orders Review of Possible Nuclear Weapons Test
MOSCOW:
Russian President Vladimir Putin has directed senior officials to prepare proposals for a possible nuclear weapons test following U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent announcement that Washington will resume testing.
During a televised meeting on Wednesday, Putin instructed the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, intelligence agencies, and other relevant departments to gather information, analyse it through the Security Council, and present coordinated recommendations on initiating nuclear test preparations.
This marks Russia’s first official consideration of nuclear testing since the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, highlighting rising tensions between Moscow and Washington.
Defense Minister Andrei Belousov told Putin that U.S. actions made it “necessary to get ready for full-scale nuclear tests immediately.” He added that the Novaya Zemlya testing site could be made operational at short notice. General Valery Gerasimov, head of the General Staff, also warned that any delay might deprive Russia of “time and opportunities for an effective response.”
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