Putin orders study on potential nuclear test, work under way, says Russian FM

Lavrov said Putin’s November 5 order on a possible nuclear test is being implemented and reviewed

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that work is under way on President Vladimir Putin's order to prepare proposals for a possible Russian nuclear test, state news agency TASS reported.

According to TASS, Lavrov said: "Regarding President Vladimir Putin's instruction at the Security Council meeting on November 5, it has been accepted for implementation and is being worked on. The public will be informed of the results."

The order was in response to President Donald Trump's surprise announcement last week that the US would resume testing.

TASS also cited Lavrov as saying that Russia had received no clarification from the US regarding Trump's order.

Read More: Trump alleges secret nuclear tests by Pakistan, China, Russia

Russia-US relations have deteriorated sharply in the past few weeks as Trump, frustrated with a lack of progress towards ending the war in Ukraine, has cancelled a planned summit with Putin and imposed sanctions on Russia for the first time since returning to the White House in January.

President Donald Trump reaffirmed on 31st October  that the United States would resume nuclear testing and did not answer directly when asked whether that would include the traditional underground nuclear tests that were common during the Cold War.

“You’ll find out very soon, but we’re going to do some testing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Palm Beach, Florida, when asked about underground nuclear tests.

He also said that he had ordered the US military to immediately restart the process for testing nuclear weapons after a 33-year halt — a move that appeared to be a message to rival nuclear powers China and Russia.