Putin issues order for proposals on possible Russian nuclear test

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his top officials on Nov 5 to draft proposals for a possible test of nuclear weapons, something Moscow has not done since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

- 

Russian President Vladimir Putin with members of the Security Council at the Kremlin on Nov 5. Russia in October tested its new Burevestnik cruise missile, which is nuclear-powered and designed to carry a nuclear warhead.

(EPA)

The order - responding to US President Donald Trump's announcement last week that the US would resume testing - was a further signal that the two countries with the world’s largest nuclear arsenals are rapidly nearing a step that could sharply escalate geopolitical tensions.

“I am instructing the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry... the special services and relevant civilian agencies to do everything possible to collect additional information on the issue, analyse it at the Security Council and make agreed proposals on the possible start of work on the preparation of nuclear weapons tests,” Mr Putin said in televised remarks.