The Foreign Ministry reported checking information about an underground explosion in Nevada

If the information about an underground explosion in Nevada is confirmed, then there is no talk of a US violation of the moratorium on nuclear testing. Russia is verifying this data, stated Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryabkov.

“If this information is true (it is currently being verified), we are not talking about a test of nuclear weapons, and this explosion does not contradict either the US moratorium on nuclear testing or the provisions of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which has not entered into force,” he noted. He.

Ryabkov also recalled the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin, spoken in his message to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on February 21. Then the head of state allowed nuclear tests to be carried out if the United States did it first.

October 18 US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) reported about testing a bomb with an underground chemical explosion at a nuclear test site “to improve the US ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions around the world.” On the same day the State Duma approved law to revoke ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

Question about the need to revoke ratification raised Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club on October 5. At the same time, Putin clarified that he cannot say now whether Russia needs nuclear weapons tests. Earlier today, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov explainedthat the revocation of ratification de jure equalizes the rights of Russia and the United States. The Federation Council will consider the cancellation of ratification of the CTBT on October 25.

Russia signed an agreement to accept the treaty on September 24, 1996. The document prohibits nuclear weapons tests and nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes. The moratorium applies in the atmosphere, in space, under water and underground. The CTBT has not entered into force because it has not been ratified by the United States, Egypt, Israel, Iran and China and has not been signed by India, North Korea and Pakistan.