Kremlin Rejects US Claims of Secret Russian and Chinese Nuclear Tests

The Kremlin has issued a strong denial against accusations from the United States that both Russia and China have conducted secret nuclear tests. On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated unequivocally that 'Neither the Russian Federation nor China has conducted any nuclear tests,' dismissing the allegations as unfounded.

US Alleges Covert Testing Amid Arms Control Push

The denials from Moscow and Beijing come in response to recent claims by the United States. Earlier this month, Washington accused China of carrying out a covert nuclear test in 2020 and also alleged low-yield tests by Russia in 2024. A senior US official, Christopher Yeaw, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control and Nonproliferation, provided details, citing seismic data from Kazakhstan on June 22, 2020, which indicated a magnitude 2.75 explosion near China's Lop Nur test site. Yeaw suggested that China might have used 'decoupling' techniques to conceal its activities.

These accusations are part of a broader push by the United States for a new, more inclusive arms control treaty. This effort gained urgency following the expiration of the New START treaty, the last US-Russian nuclear arms control agreement, on February 5. President Donald Trump has been advocating for a replacement pact that would include China alongside Russia and has indicated that the US would resume nuclear testing on an 'equal basis' if other nations are doing so.

Moscow and Beijing Issue Firm Rebuttals

Both Russia and China have strongly rejected the US allegations. Dmitry Peskov emphasized that Moscow had noted Beijing's categorical denials of the US claims. He reiterated Russia's commitment to the moratorium on nuclear testing, while also stating that Russia would be compelled to maintain parity if any other country were to conduct such tests.

Chinese officials have also dismissed the accusations as baseless. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian called the claims 'completely groundless' and 'outright lies,' accusing the United States of 'political manipulation' aimed at creating excuses for its own resumption of nuclear tests. Earlier statements from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning affirmed China's adherence to its commitment to suspend nuclear testing and its 'no first use' nuclear policy. China has urged the US to uphold the global consensus against nuclear tests and to take concrete actions to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.

International Monitoring and Treaty Status

The claims have been met with skepticism from international monitoring bodies. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), responsible for detecting nuclear explosions globally, stated that its monitoring system 'did not detect any event consistent with the characteristics of a nuclear weapon test explosion' at the time of the alleged Chinese test. Robert Floyd, the CTBTO Executive Secretary, confirmed this assessment. Independent experts have also found the seismic evidence inconclusive. Furthermore, a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found no conclusive evidence of an explosion and no unusual activity at Lop Nur via satellite imagery.

The United States, Russia, and China are all signatories to the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which prohibits all nuclear explosions. However, the US and China have not ratified the treaty. Russia ratified the CTBT in 2000 but rescinded its ratification in 2023. The expiration of the New START treaty further complicates the landscape of global nuclear arms control.