In a concerning development, Russia has signaled its swift move towards revoking the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) after President Vladimir Putin hinted at the possibility of resuming nuclear testing. The potential resumption of nuclear tests by Russia, the United States, or both nations has raised significant alarms due to the current heightened tensions between the two countries, reminiscent of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
President Putin made the remarks on Thursday, asserting that Russia's nuclear doctrine did not require updating. However, he refrained from definitively stating whether Russia would indeed resume nuclear testing. He suggested that Russia should consider withdrawing its ratification of the CTBT, noting that the United States had signed the treaty but had not ratified it.
Shortly after Putin's statements, Russia's top legislator, Vyacheslav Volodin, announced that the legislature's leadership would promptly assess the necessity of revoking Russia's ratification of the treaty. Volodin emphasized the changing global landscape, citing what he described as a "war against our country" initiated by Washington and Brussels.
"We will definitely discuss the issue of revoking the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty at the next meeting of the State Duma Council," Volodin stated.
These developments strongly indicate that Russia is on the path to revoking its ratification of the CTBT, which prohibits nuclear explosions worldwide.
Russia, inheriting the nuclear arsenal of the Soviet Union, currently possesses the largest stockpile of nuclear warheads globally. The period between 1945 and the 1996 CTBT saw over 2,000 nuclear tests conducted, with 1,032 by the United States and 715 by the Soviet Union, according to the United Nations.
The Soviet Union conducted its last nuclear test in 1990, followed by the United States in 1992. Since the CTBT's implementation, there have been ten nuclear tests, with India conducting two in 1998, Pakistan also conducting two in the same year, and North Korea conducting tests in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016 (twice), and 2017, according to the United Nations.
Putin's announcement on Thursday claimed that Russia had successfully tested a nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable cruise missile named the Burevestnik. He touted the missile's unmatched capabilities. The Burevestnik, also known as the "storm petrel," is a ground-launched, low-flying cruise missile designed to carry a nuclear warhead and powered by nuclear energy. Putin had initially unveiled this project in March 2018.
A report from the United States Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center in 2020 had highlighted that if Russia introduced the Burevestnik into service successfully, it would provide Moscow with a "unique weapon with intercontinental-range capability." These developments underscore the growing concerns about the trajectory of nuclear arms control and international stability.