Russia Urgently Prepares for Possible Nuclear Tests in Response to U.S. Actions

Preparations for potential nuclear testing can be completed swiftly, as the test site on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in Arkhangelsk Region is fully ready, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov told President Vladimir Putin during a Security Council meeting, according to the Kremlin press service.

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Nuclear explosion

Defense Ministry Calls for Swift Readiness

Belousov proposed initiating preparations for nuclear testing in response to U.S. actions.

“The readiness of the Central Test Range on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago allows us to carry it out in a short time,” he said. The test site’s commander, Andrei Sinitsyn, had already declared its operational readiness for renewed nuclear testing a year earlier.

According to Belousov, Russia must begin full-scale preparations for nuclear testing immediately due to Washington’s statements and policies. He stressed that Moscow must maintain its nuclear potential and respond appropriately to U.S. decisions. A possible U.S. withdrawal from the moratorium on nuclear testing, he warned, “could become a logical step by Washington in dismantling the system of global strategic stability.”

U.S. Missile Modernization Cited as Key Concern

Belousov emphasized that Washington has systematically withdrawn from long-standing arms control agreements, including the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and the Open Skies Treaty. He added that the United States is accelerating the modernization of its strategic offensive weapons, developing the new intercontinental ballistic missile LGM-35 Sentinel to replace the Minuteman III, and creating a nuclear-armed cruise missile. He also mentioned the “Golden Dome” program, which aims to intercept Russian and Chinese missiles both in flight and before launch.

Putin Reaffirms Commitment to Nuclear Test Ban—With a Warning

President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia’s adherence to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), saying, “We have no plans to deviate from these commitments.” However, he warned that Russia would be “forced to take appropriate action” if other signatories conducted nuclear tests.

Putin reminded that he had already warned of reciprocal measures in his 2023 address to the Federal Assembly: “If the United States or other states that are parties to the treaty conduct nuclear tests, Russia must respond accordingly.”

Background: U.S. Missile Launch Amid Rising Tensions

Earlier reports noted that Putin instructed the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, intelligence agencies, and civilian departments to draft proposals on nuclear testing following Belousov’s statement. Meanwhile, the U.S. military conducted a test launch of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, according to the 30th Space Wing. The unarmed missile flew about 4,200 miles (6,700 kilometers) to the Ronald Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands as part of routine weapons checks. The Minuteman III, operational since 1970, remains America’s only silo-based ICBM, with a range of 13,000 kilometers and several modernization programs upgrading its key systems.