Putin is ‘closer’ to launching a nuclear weapon ‘than at any point since North Korea’s last nuclear tests’

A Russian military expert has said that Vladimir Putin is “closer” to launching a nuclear missile test for the first time in more than three decades.

Moscow based military specialist Dmitry Stefanovich said that Putin could restart nuclear bomb testing at the former Soviet Arctic test site in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago.

Russian pro-war officials have been to the Zemlya archipelago to inspect the site, now Western leaders are waiting to see if Putin orders the nuclear weapons test.

Stefanovich, of the Russian Centre for International Security, and a member of the Russian Academy of Science said, “We are closer to this situation than at any point since North Korea’s last nuclear tests.”

Stefanovich warned, “Once a new generation takes over in leadership positions within nuclear weapons complexes, these discussions will intensify.

“We have the technology and extremely expensive machines that allow us to verify the warheads without live tests.

I fear that within the next 10 or 15 years it will be the technical arguments that dominate.”

Lieutenant general Andrey Gurulev posted from the Soviet Arctic test site, “You know, there’s a lot of fascinating stuff I could say about the test site – but sadly, I cannot.

“The only thing I can say is – we’re fully combat ready.”

The director of the facility, Rear-Admiral Andrei Sinitsyn said, “The test site is ready to resume full-scale testing activities.

“It is fully ready. The laboratory and testing facilities are ready. The personnel are ready. If the order is given, we will begin testing at any moment.”