Moscow, November 5, 2025 – In a televised Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin directed his government's top ministries and security agencies to gather intelligence and submit coordinated proposals on initiating preparations for nuclear weapons testing. The order marks a sharp escalation in nuclear rhetoric between Moscow and Washington, coming just days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to resume American nuclear testing for the first time in over three decades.
Putin emphasized Russia's longstanding adherence to a moratorium on explosive nuclear tests but reiterated a conditional policy: Moscow would mirror any U.S. resumption of such activities. "Russia has strictly fulfilled and is fulfilling its obligations under the [Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty]," Putin stated, adding that if the United States or another nuclear power conducts tests, "Russia would be under obligation to take reciprocal measures." He instructed the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, special services, and civilian agencies to "do everything possible to collect additional information on the issue, analyze it at the Security Council, and make agreed proposals on the possible start of work on the preparation of nuclear weapons tests."
The directive was prompted by reports from Russian officials on Trump's October 30 announcement, made via Truth Social while en route to a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. Trump declared he had "instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis" with Russia and China, citing perceived secret testing by adversaries. Trump claimed the U.S. possesses "more Nuclear Weapons than any other country" but accused others of ongoing tests, stating, "I see them testing and I say, well, if they're going to test, I guess we have to test."
Defense Minister Andrei Belousov amplified the urgency during the meeting, describing U.S. actions as an "accelerated modernization of its strategic offensive weapons." He highlighted programs like the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, Columbia-class submarines, B-21 bombers, nuclear-armed cruise missiles, the "Golden Dome" missile defense initiative, and Dark Eagle hypersonic systems. Belousov also referenced U.S. exercises, including Global Thunder 2025 in October, which reportedly rehearsed pre-emptive nuclear strikes on Russian territory.
Belousov proposed immediate action: "I consider it advisable to begin preparations for full-scale nuclear tests immediately. The readiness of the forces and assets at the Central Test Site on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago makes it possible for this to be carried out within a short timeframe." Novaya Zemlya, a remote Arctic site used for Soviet-era tests, has seen recent tunnel expansions by Russia's 12th Chief Directorate, enabling rapid reactivation. Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov echoed this, warning that delays could forfeit timely responses, with preparation times ranging from months to years depending on test type.
Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu noted confusion over U.S. intentions, citing "conflicting signals from Washington." This ambiguity stems from clarifications by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who on November 2-3 stated Trump's order focuses on "non-critical explosions" or systems tests, not full nuclear detonations. "These are not nuclear explosions," Wright told Fox News. "You're testing all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the appropriate geometry and set up the nuclear explosion." Wright assured no mushroom clouds or radioactive fallout, emphasizing simulations using historical data from 1960s-1980s U.S. tests and advanced computing.
Despite this, Trump has persisted in alleging covert low-yield tests by Russia and China, claims denied by Beijing and unsupported by public evidence from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). No nation except North Korea (last in 2017) has conducted explosive nuclear tests this century.
The exchange revives Cold War-era tensions amid eroded arms control frameworks. Russia rescinded its CTBT ratification in November 2023, aligning its status with the U.S., which signed but never ratified the 1996 treaty. Putin has maintained Russia would only test if the U.S. does first; post-Soviet Russia has never conducted an explosive test, with the last Soviet one in 1990. The U.S. moratorium dates to 1992 under President George H.W. Bush.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified Putin did not order tests outright but sought analysis of U.S. plans. Analysts view the moves as posturing. Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association called Trump's announcement "misinformed," warning resumption could trigger a "chain reaction" ending the global moratorium. CTBTO Executive Secretary Robert Floyd deemed Russia's preparatory signals "deeply regrettable."
Global reactions poured in. The European Union deplored potential Russian tests as undermining disarmament. China urged restraint, denying tests and calling for CTBT universalization. Arms experts like Jeffrey Lewis note satellite imagery of new tunnels at U.S., Russian, and Chinese sites, hinting at preparedness without violations.
The Nevada National Security Site remains the U.S.'s sole potential venue, requiring 36 months for full resumption per experts. Russia's Novaya Zemlya could activate faster.
This tit-for-tat unfolds against Russia's Ukraine invasion and U.S. support for Kyiv, with Putin repeatedly invoking nuclear threats since 2022. Trump, seeking Ukraine peace talks, has frustrated Moscow by rejecting ceasefires.
As proposals are drafted, the world watches warily. A single detonation could collapse the CTBT norm, spurring proliferation and an arms race. With 187 signatories and a robust verification system detecting explosions globally, the treaty's future hangs on U.S.-Russian restraint.
