Russia simulates nuclear strike after opting out of treaty
Russia’s military has conducted a simulated nuclear strike in a drill overseen by President Vladimir Putin, hours after the upper house of parliament voted to rescind the country’s ratification of a global nuclear test ban.
The bill to end ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, approved in the lower house last week, will now be sent to Putin for final approval. Putin has said that revoking Russia’s 2000 ratification would “mirror” the stance of the US, which signed but did not ratify the nuclear test ban.
State television showed Putin directing the exercise via video call with top military officials.
Russia’s minister of defence, Sergei Shoigu, said the purpose of the drills is to practise “dealing a massive nuclear strike with strategic offensive forces in response to a nuclear strike by the enemy”.
While similar drills are held every autumn, Shoigu’s pointed comments came amid soaring tensions between Russia and the west over the fighting in Ukraine.
The test ban treaty, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, but the treaty was never fully implemented. The treaty is yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran and Egypt.
There are widespread concerns that Russia could move to resume nuclear tests to try to discourage the west from continuing to offer military support to Ukraine. Many Russian hawks have spoken in favour of a resumption of the tests.
Putin has noted that while some experts have argued that it is necessary to conduct nuclear tests, he hasnot yet formed an opinion on the issue.
Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said earlier this month that Moscow will continue to respect the ban and will only resume nuclear tests if Washington does it first.
Ryabkov said Wednesday that the Russian foreign ministry had received US proposals to resume a dialogue on strategic stability and arms control issues, but noted that Moscow does not consider it possible in the current political environment.
“We aren’t ready for it because the return to a dialogue on strategic stability … as it was conducted in the past is impossible until the US revises its deeply hostile policy course in relation to Russia,” Ryabkov told reporters in comments carried by Russian news agencies.