Russia Confirms Nuclear Test Preparations Following Putin’s Directive
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has confirmed that Moscow is actively working on plans to resume nuclear weapons testing, following direct instructions from President Vladimir Putin. This development comes amid escalating nuclear tensions with the United States.
Key Developments
- Russia confirms nuclear test feasibility studies are underway
- Putin’s November 5 directive targets potential US CTBT withdrawal
- Moscow seeks clarification on Trump’s nuclear testing comments
- Russia maintains it will only test if US does first
Putin’s Security Council Directive
During a Security Council meeting on November 5, President Putin ordered multiple government agencies—including the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, and intelligence services—to prepare proposals for resuming nuclear tests. The directive specifically addresses the scenario where the United States withdraws from the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty moratorium.
“The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accepted for implementation the instruction given by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Security Council meeting on November 5; it has been accepted for implementation and is being worked on,” Lavrov stated through official Russian news agencies.
He added that “The public will be informed of the results,” indicating the matter remains under active consideration.
Diplomatic Uncertainty
According to Lavrov, Moscow has not received any official explanation from Washington regarding President Donald Trump’s recent comments about resuming nuclear testing.
“So far, we have not received any explanation of what President Donald Trump meant when he announced the resumption of nuclear tests,” Lavrov told reporters.
Conditional Response
During the televised Security Council meeting, Putin clearly stated that Russia would only restart nuclear testing if the United States does so first. This conditional approach positions Moscow’s actions as reactive rather than proactive.
The Russian preparations respond directly to Trump’s announcement last week that his administration plans to resume testing US nuclear assets after more than three decades of moratorium. Trump made the statement ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30, declaring the US would test nuclear weapons on an “equal basis” with rival powers.
