Overview
- Russia is analyzing whether it is practical to begin preparing for nuclear tests, with the Kremlin saying proposals are still being developed and no decision has been made.
- President Trump directed the U.S. to resume testing on an “equal basis,” but Energy Secretary Chris Wright said planned activities involve systems and component trials without nuclear detonations.
- Senate Democrats introduced the No Nuclear Testing Without Approval Act to require congressional sign-off and to bar a U.S. nuclear test unless another nation conducts one first.
- Scientists and the CTBTO-linked monitoring network report no evidence of new explosive nuclear tests by major powers, noting global systems can generally detect underground blasts around magnitude 4, roughly a kiloton.
- Experts and analysts highlight ambiguity over whether resuming testing refers to full detonations, subcritical or non-nuclear component trials, or testing of delivery systems such as missiles.