Russia is closely monitoring US nuclear test in Nevada, Putin’s spokesperson says

Russian state run media is reporting Friday that the Kremlin is closely monitoring a high-explosive experiment that the U.S. carried out this week at a nuclear test site in Nevada. 

Wednesday’s test used chemicals and radioisotopes to “validate new predictive explosion models” that can help detect atomic blasts in other countries, Bloomberg reported, citing the Department of Energy.   

The Interfax News Agency said Friday that Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a briefing that Russia is now closely monitoring the situation. 

“Earlier, the Federation Council [of the Federal Assembly of Russia] stated that the underground tests on October 18 in Nevada should be given an international legal assessment, since the United States is a signatory to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and is obliged to refrain from violating this agreement,” Interfax also reported. 

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Corey Hinderstein, deputy administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration, said in a statement that “These experiments advance our efforts to develop new technology in support of U.S. nuclear nonproliferation goals. 

“They will help reduce global nuclear threats by improving the detection of underground nuclear explosive tests,” he added.  

The U.S. test is notable because of its timing. Russian lawmakers have announced their intention to revoke its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. 

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A bill will go to the Russian upper house, the Federation Council, which will consider it next week. Federation Council lawmakers have already said they will support the bill. 

The treaty, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, although it has never fully entered into force. In addition to the U.S., it is yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran and Egypt. 

 

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov had said last week that Moscow will continue to respect the ban and will only resume nuclear tests if Washington does so first. 

Fox News’ Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.