Putin orders Russian military to prepare for nuclear weapons tests

Russian media reported the information.  

On Tuesday, February 21, during an address to the Federal Assembly, Putin accused the US of developing new types of nuclear weapons that the Americans are allegedly going to test. 

"Some figures in Washington, we know this for a fact, are already thinking about the possibility of natural tests of their nuclear weapons. The United States is developing new types of nuclear weapons. We have this information," Putin said.

In this regard, he ordered the Russian Defense Ministry and Rosatom, State Atomiс Energy Corporation, to prepare for their own nuclear weapons tests. 

"In this situation, the Ministry of Defense and Rosatom must ensure readiness for testing Russian nuclear weapons. We will not be the first to do so. But if the United States conducts tests, we will do so as well. No one should have dangerous illusions that global strategic parity can be destroyed," Putin said. 

• On February 21, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had decided to suspend its participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.