nuclear weapons

The Associated Press reports: North Korea’s recent barrage of missile launches were the simulated use of its tactical battlefield nuclear weapons to “hit and wipe out” potential South Korean and U.S. targets, state media reported Monday, as its leader Kim Jong Un signaled he would conduct more provocative tests. The North’s statement, released on the 77th birthday of its ruling …

Agence France-Presse reports: North Korea has passed a law allowing it to carry out a preventive nuclear strike and declaring its status as a nuclear-armed state “irreversible”, state media said Friday. The announcement comes at a time of crumbling ties between the North and South, with Pyongyang blaming Seoul for the outbreak of Covid-19 in its territory and conducting a …

Reuters reports: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that his military’s SU-24 warplanes had been modified to carry nuclear weapons and that Minsk would react immediately if the West caused it any problems. Lukashenko said he had agreed the move to modernise Belarusian warplanes with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Belta news agency reported. Belarus, a staunch Russian ally, …

The BBC reports: North Korea says it has successfully tested a new weapon, which it says will significantly enhance its tactical nuclear capabilities. Photos show the country’s leader Kim Jong-un smiling and clapping as he watches the new missile’s launch. Experts believe this is a sign that North Korea is planning to test a compact nuclear weapon soon – in …

The Washington Post reports: Russia warned Finland and Sweden on Thursday that if they join NATO, Moscow will reinforce the Baltic Sea region, including by deploying nuclear weapons. Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin ally who serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said Thursday that NATO expansion would lead Russia to strengthen air, land and naval forces to “balance” military …

The New York Times reports: President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia presided over the theatrically timed test launches of three ballistic and cruise missiles on Saturday as part of what were described as nuclear deterrence exercises, in a blunt reminder to the West that any conflict over Ukraine could quickly escalate. Mr. Putin watched the display from a Kremlin command …

The Associated Press reports: The Russian military on Friday announced massive drills of its strategic nuclear forces, a stark reminder of the country’s nuclear might amid Western fears that Moscow might be preparing to invade Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin will personally oversee Saturday’s exercise, which will involve multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, the Defense …

Defense News reports: A new nuclear warhead requested, designed and produced under the Trump administration, has been deployed aboard a nuclear submarine, the Pentagon confirmed. The deployment of the W76-2, a low-yield variant of the nuclear warhead traditionally used on the Trident missile, was first reported Jan. 29 by the Federation of American Scientists. The first to move out with …

The New York Daily News reports: “It is 100 seconds to midnight.” That was the ominous message laid out by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Thursday morning as officials unveiled the 2020 setting for the Doomsday Clock. “Both the nuclear and climate conditions are worsening,” Rachel Bronson, president and CEO of the Bulletin, said at a press conference. “Leaders …

Reuters reports: The United States would be very disappointed if North Korea tested a long-range or nuclear missile and would take appropriate action as a leading military and economic power, White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien said on Sunday. Washington has many “tools in its tool kit” to respond to any such test, O’Brien said in an interview with …

Agence France-Presse reports: A new intercontinental weapon that can fly 27 times the speed of sound became operational Friday, Russia’s defense minister reported to President Vladimir Putin, bolstering the country’s nuclear strike capability. Putin has described the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle as a technological breakthrough comparable to the 1957 Soviet launch of the first satellite. The new Russian weapon and …

The New York Times reports: American military and intelligence officials tracking North Korea’s actions by the hour say they are bracing for an imminent test of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching American shores, but appear resigned to the fact that President Trump has no good options to stop it. If the North goes ahead with the test in …

The Associated Press reports: The U.S. is closely watching North Korea for signs of a possible missile launch or nuclear test in the coming days that officials are referring to as a “Christmas surprise.” Earlier this month, the North conducted what U.S. officials say was an engine test. North Korea described it as “crucial” and experts believe that it may …

The Associated Press reports: North Korea said Saturday that it successfully performed another “crucial test” at its long-range rocket launch site that will further strengthen its nuclear deterrent. The test possibly involved technologies to improve intercontinental ballistic missiles that could potentially reach the continental United States. The announcement comes as North Korea continues to pressure the Trump administration for major …

Reuters reports: North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations said today that denuclearization is off the negotiating table with the United States and lengthy talks with Washington are not needed, the starkest statement yet emphasizing the gulf between the two sides ahead of a year-end deadline set by Pyongyang. U.S. President Donald Trump sought to play down a recent surge …

Reuters reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Moscow is prepared to immediately extend the only remaining nuclear arms reduction pact with the United States. Speaking at a meeting with military officials, Putin said that Russia has repeatedly offered the U.S. to extend the New START treaty that expires in 2021 but that it hasn’t heard back. “Russia is …

Newsweek reports: Former Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev has warned that tensions between nuclear powers is putting the whole world at risk, calling for all weapons of mass destruction to be outlawed by the international community. Speaking with the BBC, the last leader of the Soviet Union warned that the U.S. and Russia remain in a state of conflict even though …

Reuters reports: Norway’s nuclear safety authority is analyzing amounts of radioactive iodine detected in the air in northern Norway in the days after a deadly explosion during a rocket engine test over the border in Russia. Russia’s state nuclear agency, Rosatom, said on Saturday that five people killed in the blast were its staff members, and the accident involved “isotope …

Reuters reports: The Kremlin boasted on Tuesday it was winning the race to develop new cutting edge nuclear weapons despite a mysterious rocket accident last week in northern Russia that caused a temporary spike in radiation levels. Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear agency, has said that the Aug. 8 accident occurred during a rocket test on a sea platform in the …

The New York Times reports: American intelligence officials are racing to understand a mysterious explosion that released radiation off the coast of northern Russia last week, apparently during the test of a new type of nuclear-propelled cruise missile hailed by President Vladimir V. Putin as the centerpiece of Moscow’s arms race with the United States. American officials have said nothing …