At a meeting of Russia’s Security Council on Wednesday, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov proposed that Vladimir Putin immediately begin preparations for a full-scale nuclear weapons test on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, the Kremlin press service reported.
According to Belousov, the U.S. has been steadily withdrawing from arms control agreements and is “carrying out an accelerated modernization” of its strategic offensive weapons. He argued that these plans, which include conducting nuclear tests, “significantly increase the level of military danger to Russia.”
“From this it follows that we must keep our nuclear capabilities ready to inflict unacceptable damage on an adversary under any conditions and circumstances, and act appropriately in response to Washington’s steps in the interest of guaranteed security for our country,” the defense minister said. “In view of the above, I consider it advisable to begin preparations for full-scale nuclear tests immediately.”
In response, Putin asked the heads of the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry and the security services to “gather additional information” about U.S. plans for nuclear tests and to “submit coordinated proposals on a possible start of work to prepare for nuclear weapons testing.”
Modern Russia has never officially conducted a nuclear weapons test. The last time the Soviet Union did so was in 1990.