Overview
- President Donald Trump told the Pentagon to begin testing U.S. nuclear weapons "on an equal basis," without specifying whether explosive detonations are intended.
- Vladimir Putin instructed Russia’s ministries, security services and civilian agencies to submit proposals on preparing for possible tests, with no deadline set.
- Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov urged immediate preparations and cited Novaya Zemlya as a site that could host tests on short notice.
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the activities under discussion are system or non‑critical tests rather than nuclear explosions, as lawmakers and experts warned a testing restart could erode the test‑ban regime and spur escalation.
- An unarmed Minuteman III ICBM launch from California proceeded as a routine, preplanned test, and no country has conducted an explosive nuclear detonation in this episode.