The Kremlin clarified this Thursday, October 30, to U.S. President Donald Trump that Russia has not conducted any nuclear tests, but merely tested two new-generation weapon systems with atomic propulsion.
“This can in no way be interpreted as a nuclear test,” Dmitry Peskov, presidential spokesman, said at his daily telephone press briefing.
Russia denies nuclear tests
🇷🇺✊️
Kremlin warns it will “respond in kind” if U.S. resumes nuclear weapons tests, after Trump’s comments sparked global concern about a new arms race pic.twitter.com/k5iFEZVWnu– aapayés (@aapayes) October 31, 2025
Peskov stressed that Moscow informed the White House about test launches with the Burevéstnik cruise missile (October 21) and with the Poseidon unmanned submersible (October 28).
And he expressed confidence that “the information was correctly conveyed to President Trump.”
“Russia is a sovereign country and has the right to make sovereign decisions. All countries are engaged in developing their defense systems and that does not represent a nuclear test,” he said.
Russian moratorium remains in place
🚨⚡️Rusia tests its nuclear triad under Vladimir Putin’s telematic supervision. The exercise included a Yars continental ballistic missile, a Sineva ballistic missile from a Barents Sea nuclear submarine, and cruise missiles from Tu-95MS long-range aircraft pic.twitter.com/ho0X0Uogyx
– El Ojo (@ElOjoEn) October 26, 2025
He recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin is keeping the moratorium on nuclear tests in place as long as the other powers do the same. Russia has not conducted any tests since the fall of the Soviet Union.
“I want to recall the statement of President Putin, who on several occasions repeated: of course, if someone leaves the moratorium, then Russia will act in accordance with the situation,” he noted.
In November 2023 the head of the Kremlin signed the law revoking the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), but maintained the moratorium until further notice.
He denied that Trump had informed Moscow of his decision announced Thursday to “immediately” begin testing the U.S. nuclear arsenal “because of other countries’ testing programs.”
“Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the War Department to begin testing our nuclear weapons on a level playing field. That process will begin immediately,” Trump said via his social network Truth Social.
However, it is not clear whether the U.S. leader is referring to nuclear weapons launch tests or actual nuclear tests, whether above ground or subway.
Nuclear disarmament negotiations stalled
LATEST : Vladimir Putin now announces that Russia 🇷🇺 successfully tested the nuclear torpedo “Poseidon”, capable of generating radioactive tsunamis that would make coastal cities uninhabitable, according to Reuters. pic.twitter.com/0BSY004ILE
– World Alert (@TuiteroSismico) October 29, 2025
Peskov also answered negatively to the question whether this means the start of an arms race, although he also denied that Russia and the U.S. had resumed negotiations for the renewal of START III, the last nuclear disarmament treaty still in force between the two powers.
“At the moment there has been no substantial proposal from Washington. As of today we cannot speak, unfortunately, of any kind of breakthrough,” he said.
Putin recently proposed to the U.S. to voluntarily extend the application of START III for one year after it expires next February.
Trump’s announcement of his nuclear weapons tests came after Putin led land, sea and air maneuvers of nuclear forces from the Kremlin on October 22.
Putin, who insisted that these were “routine” exercises that he had last presided over in October 2023, announced in recent days successful tests with two new nuclear-powered weapon systems unparalleled in the world (Burevéstnik and Poseidon).
Last nuclear test in 1990
Russia has been test-launching its ballistic and intercontinental missiles for many years, but has not conducted a nuclear test since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Between 1949 and 1990 the Soviet Union conducted a total of 715 nuclear tests for military purposes and 124 for peaceful purposes at four sites in Semipalatinsk (present-day Kazakhstan); New Zembla (Arctic); Kapustin Yar (near the Caspian) and Tótskoye (Urals).
The USSR conducts its last nuclear test on October 24, 1990 in the Arctic archipelago of New Zembla. There were eight charges with a power of 70 kilotons.
Russia is a sovereign country and has the right to make sovereign decisions. All countries are engaged in developing their defense systems and that does not represent a nuclear test
Dmitri Peskov
Filed under: Russia denies having carried out nuclear tests
With information from EFE
