Ukraine has condemned Russia's attacks on key energy infrastructure, saying the strikes bear the "hallmarks of nuclear terrorism".
The Ukrainian foreign ministry said Putin's forces are carrying out "targeted strikes" on power substations supplying energy to nuclear power plants across Ukraine.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also condemned the attacks, confirming after a field visit that the strikes affected Ukraine's "nuclear safety and security".
“Attacks on Ukraine’s power grid represent an ever-present danger to nuclear safety and security to all nuclear facilities in Ukraine," the IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi said.
Energy ministers from the G7 group of nations also issued a joint statement, calling the strikes “nuclear terrorism” that weakens the energy security of the Ukrainian people.
With winter approaching, Moscow appears to carry out such strikes with a goal to "plunge Ukraine into darkness”, Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
“Russia continues its systematic energy terror – striking at the lives, dignity, and warmth of Ukrainians on the eve of winter,” Svyrydenko said.
Read More
How Russia is risking nuclear catastrophe with attempts to syphon power from Ukraine’s biggest plant
Everything we know about Putin’s new nuclear-armed underwater drone Poseidon after ‘successful’ test
Key Points
- Trump warned Ukraine war is creating ‘significant risks’ for US
- Russia attacks Ukraine with controversial 'secret missile'
- Trump-Putin summit cancelled, according to reports
- Trump given stark warnings over his nuclear testing plan
- How Putin is provoking Ukraine’s European allies over land, air and sea
Russia deliberately attacking substations critical to nuclear power plants, Ukraine says
04:30
,
Vishwam Sankaran
Ukraine's foreign ministry denounced Russia's attacks on substations key to safe operation of Kyiv's nuclear power plants, calling the attacks "hallmarks of nuclear terrorism" and a "grave violation of international humanitarian law".
Russia is carrying out "targeted strikes on such substations", a statement issued late by the foreign ministry said.
The IAEA confirmed damage to substations that ensure the safe functioning of the Ukrainian nuclear power plants—as a result of Russian strikes.
— Andrii Sybiha (@andrii_sybiha) October 31, 2025
This is yet another example of Russia threatening nuclear safety of the European continent and violating international law.
Important…
The ministry was responding to an earlier report by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, which said Russia's military activity "has led to damage to substations critical to nuclear safety and security in Ukraine".
Russian oil giant forced to sell international assets amid new sanctions
06:10
,
Vishwam Sankaran
Lukoil, Russia's second largest oil company, announced it is selling its international assets in wake of new American sanctions targeting it.
The oil giant said has accepted an offer from global commodity trader Gunvor to buy its foreign assets, making it one of the biggest sales by a Russian company due to Western sanctions since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
“The key terms of the transaction have been earlier agreed by the parties. On its side, (Lukoil) accepted the offer, having undertaken not to negotiate with other potential buyers,” Lukoil said about Gunvor’s offer.
Video: Russia deployed 170,000 troops to surround Ukrainian town, Zelensky says
05:50
,
Vishwam Sankaran
G7 condemns Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy grid
05:30
,
Vishwam Sankaran
Energy ministers of the Group of Seven nations (G7) issued a joint statement today condemning Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, calling the strikes “nuclear terrorism”.
Ministers representing the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US said Russia's attacks on substations powering Ukraine's nuclear plants “continue to inflict devastating social, environmental, and economic consequences on the Ukrainian people”.
“Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine’s natural gas infrastructure have created risks to communities and human lives, weakening civilian infrastructure and the energy security of the Ukrainian people,” the G7 statement said.
With winter approaching, Moscow’s “goal is to plunge Ukraine into darkness”, Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
“Russia continues its systematic energy terror – striking at the lives, dignity, and warmth of Ukrainians on the eve of winter,” Svyrydenko said.
Ukrainian nuclear power plant 'safety and security' affected, IAEA confirms
05:10
,
Vishwam Sankaran
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Russia's attacks on substations had affected Ukraine's "nuclear safety and security".
The IAEA said it had conducted a "thorough walkthrough" of one of the targeted substations supplying power to a Ukrainian nuclear power plant (NPP).
It confirmed damage to the substation’s equipment today and determined that there was a "negative impact to the reliability of the off-site power supply to Ukrainian NPPs".
“Attacks on Ukraine’s power grid represent an ever-present danger to nuclear safety and security to all nuclear facilities in Ukraine," IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi said.
Kyiv's counterattacks make small gains as Russian troops surround Ukrainian town
04:51
,
Vishwam Sankaran
Ukrainian forces marginally advanced north of Pokrovsk even after Russia deployed an estimated 170,000 troops to surround and capture the town, geolocated footage suggests.
"There are Russians in Pokrovsk. Our guys are destroying them, destroying them little by little – because we also have to protect our personnel," Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
"All their forces are there," he said.
Ukrainian forces have made some advances with their counterattacks in eastern Rodynske to the north of Pokrovsk, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
Ukrainian troops are also carrying out counterattacks against Russian infiltration in northern Pokrovsk and in eastern Rih, which is immediately to the east of Pokrovsk.
What are 'secret' nuclear-capable missiles used repeatedly by Russia since August
04:10
,
Vishwam Sankaran
A new investigation has revealed Russia has been repeatedly using nuclear-capable 9M729 Novator ground-launched cruise missiles against Ukraine, in an apparent violation of an international treaty.
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty bans ground-launched missiles with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometres.
However, an investigation revealed Russian forces launched Novator missiles against an unspecified target in Ukraine at a range of over 1,200 kilometres on 5 October, Reuters reported.
Russia has reportedly used the missile multiple times against Ukraine, twice in 2022, and nearly two dozen times since August 2025.
The use of these long-range nuclear-capable missiles comes amid Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcements of Russia resuming tests of its nuclear weapons Burevestnik and Poseidon.
Pentagon approves providing Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles
03:50
,
Vishwam Sankaran
The Pentagon has greenlit the White House to provide US-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, concluding it would not affect American stockpiles of the long-range weapon.
The final decision rests with president Donald Trump, however, CNN reported, citing US and European officials familiar with the matter.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky had been pushing his allies for long-range missiles to effectively target oil and energy facilities deep inside Russia.
Earlier, Trump hinted he may not provide the missiles to Ukraine, stating, “we don’t want to be giving away things that we need to protect our country".
Now the US has fewer reasons to not provide the missiles, European officials argue.
Trump given stark warnings over his nuclear testing plan
03:30
,
Harriette Boucher
Trump’s decision to resume nuclear weapons tests in the US is facing domestic criticism - and a stark warning it could lead to escalation.
Representative Dina Titus, a Democratic member of the US Congress from Nevada, condemned the move, saying on X: “I'll be introducing legislation to put a stop to this.”
Daryl Kimball, director of the Arms Control Association think tank, said it would take the US at least 36 months to resume contained nuclear tests underground at the former test site in Nevada.
“Trump is misinformed and out of touch. The US has no technical, military or political reason to resume nuclear explosive testing for the first time since 1992," he said on X.
Trump's announcement, he added, could “trigger a chain reaction of nuclear testing by US adversaries, and blow apart the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
Analysis: Russia's attacks reveal Trump's limited leverage over Putin compared Middle East
03:00
,
Harriette Boucher
President Donald Trump has regularly lamented the delays he has faced in brokering a deal between Russia and Ukraine. However, experts suggest that his luck with the Middle East is unlikely to be replicated with political actors his own size.
“Russia's ongoing attacks reveal the limits of Trump's leverage against Putin,” says Dr Bariş Çelik at the University of Sheffield.
“This is in stark contrast to his substantial hold over US allies and structurally weakened actors in the Middle East.
“Trump is very much interested in brokering ceasefires between conflicting parties across the world but with a significantly powerful side like Putin's Russia, his ability to end hostilities is much more limited.
“War in Ukraine seems to be the most complex test for Trump's already short-sighted approach to peace.”
Russia attacks Ukraine with controversial 'secret missiles', according to new investigation
02:00
,
Harriette Boucher
Russia has attacked Ukraine with ground-launched 9M729 cruise missiles, whose secret development previously led to Donald Trump to abandon a nuclear arms control pact in his first term as President in 2019.
The accusations were made by Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha during a Reuters investigation, and mark the first confirmation that the weapons have been used by Russia anywhere in the world.
Russia has fired the missile at Ukraine a total of 23 times since August, a senior Ukrainian official told the news agency. It recorded two launches of the 9M729 by Russia in 2022, according to the source.
America has previously suggested that the missile is banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The country quit the treat following the development in 2019.
The Kremlin referred the allegations to the defence ministry, when asked on Friday. The ministry has yet to respond.
“Russia's use of the INF-banned 9M729 against Ukraine in the past months demonstrates (President Vladimir) Putin's disrespect to the United States and President Trump's diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine,” Sybiha said in written remarks.
Watch: Ukrainians rescued from Sumy apartments after Russian strike
01:00
,
Harriette Boucher
Russia's year long crawl towards Pokrovsk
00:00
,
Harriette Boucher
Russia has been inching towards Pokrovsk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region for more than a year, slowly but steadily taking control of the small villages to its south.
On Sunday, Ukraine's general staff said that at least 200 Russian military personnel entered the city in separate groups as small-arms firefights raged in the former logistics hub.
Ukraine was taking steps to “strengthen the stability of defences” in the city and aimed at bolstering its logistics by improving defence of supply and evacuation routes, Syrskyi said.
“The main priority is to save the lives of our soldiers,” he said. Logistics for the city were complicated due to Russia's FPV drones “but possible”, Ukraine's 7th Rapid Response Corps operating in the area said in a statement on Facebook.
The brigade added that Russia mostly used infantry to attack Pokrovsk, but also deployed armed vehicles to advance on Myrnohrad, around 4 miles to the northeast.
Trump declines to clarify plans to resume nuclear detonation tests
Friday 31 October 2025 23:00
,
Harriette Boucher
Trump declined to say whether he plans on resuming underground nuclear detonation tests, as he suggested on social media earlier this week.
On Friday, Trump told reporters: "You'll find out very soon," without elaborating when asked if he would resume underground nuclear detonation tests.
When asked about what nuclear testing the Pentagon would oversee, defence secretary Pete Hegseth indicated to reporters that the plan was to test warheads when he said "resuming testing" would be "pretty responsible."
Homegrown Ukrainian drones take the war deep into Russia
Friday 31 October 2025 22:00
,
Harriette Boucher
Under the cloak of darkness in rural Ukraine, attack drones are meticulously assembled before embarking on long-range missions deep into Russian territory.
These strikes, targeting vital oil refineries, fuel depots, and military logistics hubs, represent a significant escalation in Ukraine’s drone campaign since the summer, now reaching unprecedented distances.
Read more:
Ukraine identifies addresses of more than 300 abducted Ukrainian children
Friday 31 October 2025 21:00
,
Harriette Boucher
Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence has located the addresses of more than 300 Ukrainian children who were kidnapped by Russia and is providing partners with lists of children who must be returned.
“This is a sensitive issue, with a great deal of quiet diplomatic work underway,” Zelensky said.
“To foil any Russian attempt to claim they supposedly know nothing about these children, we are ensuring that addresses are included as well.
“The first such list – containing over 300 surnames, first names, and addresses of abducted children – will be on the desks of all the leaders assisting in this effort.”
Ukraine landed special forces in embattled Pokrovsk, sources say
Friday 31 October 2025 20:38
,
Harriette Boucher
Ukraine landed special forces in embattled parts of Pokrovsk earlier this week as Russia claimed it had surrounded Kyiv’s forces in the area.
A Ukrainian military source in the 7th Rapid Response Corps told Reuters that the special forces landed in a Black Hawk helicopter a few days ago.
The operation was overseen by Ukrainian military spy chief Kyrylo Budanov, the other source said.
Mapped: A look at Russia's violations and drone incursions across Europe
Friday 31 October 2025 20:00
,
Harriette Boucher
The Nuclear Club: The 9 countries armed with nukes as US set to resume weapons testing
Friday 31 October 2025 19:00
,
Maira Butt
The United States is to resume nuclear weapons testing “immediately”, Donald Trump has announced, raising fears of renewed proliferation between the world’s two biggest stockpiles of atomic weaponry.
The American president has outwardly pursued a rapprochement in US-Russian relations since returning to the White House in January, but continued provocations from Moscow have pressed Washington to change its stance.
James C Reynolds reports:
Russia deploys 170,000 troops for push in Ukraine's Donetsk region, Zelenskyy says
Friday 31 October 2025 18:30
,
Maira Butt
Poland intercepts Russian plane over Baltic sea for the third time this week
Friday 31 October 2025 18:01
,
Maira Butt
Poland said its jets intercepted a Russian reconnaissance plane for the third time this week.
The army confirmed the aircraft did not violate Polish airspace.
Ukraine strikes Russian oil plant in Oryol, says navy
Friday 31 October 2025 17:30
,
Maira Butt
Ukraine’s navy said it has hit a Russian oil plant in Oryol on Friday.
“Both facilities supplied power to military enterprises in the region, so their destruction is a serious blow to the (Russians') logistics,” the navy said on Telegram.
Ukraine hands over suspected Russian war criminal to Lithuania
Friday 31 October 2025 17:15
,
Maira Butt
Ukraine has handed over a captured Russian soldier to Lithuania for trial.
The soldier was accused of torture and illegal detention. It is the first case of its kind involving a third country’s justice system during the bitter and vicious conflict, which has been raging since February 2022.
The man was described as a Russian marine who is suspected of working at a detention centre set up in Melitopol airport in 2022 in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine.
Lithuanian General Prosecutor Nida Grunskiene told reporters that one of the victims there was a Lithuanian citizen.
The suspect was arrested on the frontline in Ukraine in 2023. On Wednesday, he a was handed over and detained by a court for three months and charged with war crimes against civilians and prisoners of war, including their torture and illegal imprisonment, Grunskiene said.
"For the first time since the start of [Russia's] full-scale aggression, Ukraine has transferred a Russian serviceman to a foreign state – Lithuania – for real criminal prosecution for war crimes," he wrote on Telegram on Friday.
Exclusive: Trump warned Ukraine war is creating ‘significant risks’ for US economy in new report urging end to conflict
Friday 31 October 2025 16:37
,
Maira Butt
The ongoing war in Ukraine is creating “significant risks” to the U.S. economy and is costing American firms billions in lost opportunities, a report by influential economists has warned.
The Center for Freedom and Prosperity paper by Daniel J. Mitchell and Robert O’Quinn also claims that the continuation of the conflict threatens the U.S. dollar's status as the world’s reserve currency.
Russia and China want to end this so-called “exorbitant privilege” that sees most countries use the dollar for international trade and are using the war and trade tensions to undermine America’s position, the report argues.
The Independent’s Political Editor David Maddox reports:
Analysis: Russia's attacks reveal Trump's limited leverage over Putin compared Middle East
Friday 31 October 2025 15:24
,
Maira Butt
President Donald Trump has regularly lamented the delays he has faced in brokering a deal between Russia and Ukraine. However, experts suggest that his luck with the Middle East is unlikely to be replicated with political actors his own size.
“Russia's ongoing attacks reveal the limits of Trump's leverage against Putin,” says Dr Bariş Çelik at the University of Sheffield.
“This is in stark contrast to his substantial hold over US allies and structurally weakened actors in the Middle East.
“Trump is very much interested in brokering ceasefires between conflicting parties across the world but with a significantly powerful side like Putin's Russia, his ability to end hostilities is much more limited.
“War in Ukraine seems to be the most complex test for Trump's already short-sighted approach to peace.”
Trump given stark warnings over his nuclear testing plan
Friday 31 October 2025 14:30
,
Maira Butt
Trump’s decision to resume nuclear weapons tests in the US is facing domestic criticism - and a stark warning it could lead to escalation.
Representative Dina Titus, a Democratic member of the US Congress from Nevada, condemned the move, saying on X: “I'll be introducing legislation to put a stop to this.”
Daryl Kimball, director of the Arms Control Association think tank, said it would take the US at least 36 months to resume contained nuclear tests underground at the former test site in Nevada.
“Trump is misinformed and out of touch. The US has no technical, military or political reason to resume nuclear explosive testing for the first time since 1992," he said on X.
Trump's announcement, he added, could “trigger a chain reaction of nuclear testing by US adversaries, and blow apart the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
From airspace violations to drone incursions: How Putin is provoking Ukraine’s European allies over land, air and sea
Friday 31 October 2025 14:00
,
Maira Butt
Europe’s NATO allies have been shaken by Russian provocations on the bloc’s eastern frontier in recent months, reporting a string of drone incursions and scrambling jets to shadow aircraft flying over the Baltic.
Concern has mounted since September, when nearly two dozen drones crossed over into Poland amid a large-scale Russian drone attack on Ukraine. Days later, three Russian military jets violated Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes.
James C Reynolds reports:
Mapped: A look at Russia's violations and drone incursions across Europe
Friday 31 October 2025 13:42
,
Maira Butt
Ukraine hit 160 Russian oil and energy facilities this year
Friday 31 October 2025 13:32
,
Maira Butt
At least 160 Russian oil and energy facilities have been hit by Ukraine so far this year, Vasyl Maliuk , the head of the SBU security service said on Friday.
He told reporters that the strikes would continue with the aim of reducing Russia's ability to fund its invasion of Ukraine, which it started in February 2022.
One of Russia's intermediate-range Oreshnik missiles was also destroyed in a special operation in summer 2023, he said.
In photos: Firefighters extinguish blaze caused by Russian attacks overnight in Sumy
Friday 31 October 2025 13:00
,
Maira Butt
Russian attacks in Sumy injured 11 people, including four children.
Emergency services said Russia struck a residential multi-storey building, private houses and infrastructure facilities, in a statement on Telegram.
The railway depot was also attacked according to local governor Ihor Kalchenko. Several carriages and buildings were damaged.
Homegrown Ukrainian drones take the war deep into Russia
Friday 31 October 2025 12:30
,
Maira Butt
What is a 9M729 missile?
Friday 31 October 2025 12:01
,
Maira Butt
As Ukraine accuses Russia of using 9M729 missiles to attack its territory, experts have suggested that the long-range weapons are designed for use on European soil.
The weapon can carry a nuclear or conventional warhead and has a range of 2,500 km according to the Missile Threat website produced at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
A military source told Reuters that a 9M729 fired by Russia on October 5 flew over 1,200 km to its impact in Ukraine.
“I think Putin is trying to ramp up pressure as part of the Ukraine negotiations,” said William Alberque, a senior adjunct fellow at the Pacific Forum think tank, adding that the 9M729 was designed to hit targets in Europe.
The weapon led the United States to quit the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019, after alleging it was in breach of the treaty and could fly far beyond its limit of 500 km (310 miles). Russia has denied this.
US cancels Trump-Putin summit, say reports
Friday 31 October 2025 11:45
,
Maira Butt
A highly-anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been cancelled, following a heated phone call between the country’s top diplomats, according to the Financial Times.
The meeting, which was to be held in Budapest, Hungary, was initially postponed over differences in approaches to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
It was cancelled, following Russia maintaining a hard stance on its demands in relation to Ukraine, according to the report.
Watch: Ukrainians rescued from Sumy apartments after Russian strike
Friday 31 October 2025 11:30
,
Maira Butt
Exclusive: Trump warned Ukraine war is creating ‘significant risks’ for US economy in new report urging end to conflict
Friday 31 October 2025 11:00
,
Maira Butt
The ongoing war in Ukraine is creating “significant risks” to the U.S. economy and is costing American firms billions in lost opportunities, a report by influential economists has warned.
The Center for Freedom and Prosperity paper by Daniel J. Mitchell and Robert O’Quinn also claims that the continuation of the conflict threatens the U.S. dollar's status as the world’s reserve currency.
Russia and China want to end this so-called “exorbitant privilege” that sees most countries use the dollar for international trade and are using the war and trade tensions to undermine America’s position, the report argues.
The Independent’s Political Editor David Maddox reports:
Russia attacks Ukraine with controversial 'secret missiles', according to new investigation
Friday 31 October 2025 10:47
,
Maira Butt
Russia has attacked Ukraine with ground-launched 9M729 cruise missiles, whose secret development previously led to Donald Trump to abandon a nuclear arms control pact in his first term as President in 2019.
The accusations were made by Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha during a Reuters investigation, and mark the first confirmation that the weapons have been used by Russia anywhere in the world.
Russia has fired the missile at Ukraine a total of 23 times since August, a senior Ukrainian official told the news agency. It recorded two launches of the 9M729 by Russia in 2022, according to the source.
America has previously suggested that the missile is banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The country quit the treat following the development in 2019.
The Kremlin referred the allegations to the defence ministry, when asked on Friday. The ministry has yet to respond.
“Russia's use of the INF-banned 9M729 against Ukraine in the past months demonstrates (President Vladimir) Putin's disrespect to the United States and President Trump's diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine,” Sybiha said in written remarks.
Kremlin responds to claims that Trump-Putin summit has been cancelled
Friday 31 October 2025 10:30
,
Maira Butt
The Kremlin has responded to reports that a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump has been cancelled.
The Financial Times reported on Friday that the US had cancelled the Budapest meeting after Russia took an unbending stance on its demands in relation to Ukraine.
The meeting had previously been postponed amid similar speculation.
On Friday, the Kremlin said that media reports should not be followed on the topic, insisting that only official statements from Russia’s foreign ministry and the US State Department should be taken seriously.
Hungary to seek exemption from US oil sanctions on Russia, says PM Orban
Friday 31 October 2025 09:58
,
Maira Butt
Prime Minister Viktor Orban will seek an exemption from US oil sanctions on Russia, due to high-dependency on its pipelines.
“Hungary is a landlocked country. We are dependent on those transport routes through which energy can reach Hungary. These are mostly pipelines," Orban said.
“We have to make the Americans understand this peculiar situation, if we want them to allow exemptions from the American sanctions against Russia.”
He referred to Germany’s request for an exemption for one of its oil refineries, despite having access to the sea.
The Nuclear Club: The 9 countries armed with nukes as US set to resume weapons testing
Friday 31 October 2025 09:29
,
Maira Butt
The United States is to resume nuclear weapons testing “immediately”, Donald Trump has announced, raising fears of renewed proliferation between the world’s two biggest stockpiles of atomic weaponry.
The American president has outwardly pursued a rapprochement in US-Russian relations since returning to the White House in January, but continued provocations from Moscow have pressed Washington to change its stance.
Child among seven killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy grid
Friday 31 October 2025 09:00
,
Arpan Rai
At least seven people, including a seven-year-old girl, was injured after Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and other targets yesterday, officials said.
Regional officials said two men were killed in the southeastern industrial city of Zaporizhzhia, and a seven-year-old girl from the central Vinnytsia region died in hospital from injuries sustained in the attacks.
The regional governor said a later drone strike on a village south of Zaporizhzhia killed one person and injured another.
Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko accused Moscow of targeting Ukrainian people and power supplies as the cold winter months approach.
“Its goal is to plunge Ukraine into darkness. Ours is to preserve the light," Svyrydenko said on the Telegram app. "To stop the terror, we need more air defence systems, tougher sanctions, and maximum pressure on the aggressor,” she said.
Trump given stark warnings over his nuclear testing plan
Friday 31 October 2025 08:45
,
Arpan Rai
Trump’s decision to resume nuclear weapons tests in the US is facing domestic criticism - and a stark warning it could lead to escalation.
Representative Dina Titus, a Democratic member of the US Congress from Nevada, condemned the move, saying on X: “I'll be introducing legislation to put a stop to this.”
Daryl Kimball, director of the Arms Control Association think tank, said it would take the US at least 36 months to resume contained nuclear tests underground at the former test site in Nevada.
“Trump is misinformed and out of touch. The US has no technical, military or political reason to resume nuclear explosive testing for the first time since 1992," he said on X.
Trump's announcement, he added, could “trigger a chain reaction of nuclear testing by US adversaries, and blow apart the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
How Putin is provoking Ukraine’s European allies over land, air and sea
Friday 31 October 2025 08:30
,
Arpan Rai
Europe’s Nato allies have been shaken by Russian provocations on the bloc’s eastern frontier in recent months, reporting a string of drone incursions and scrambling jets to shadow aircraft flying over the Baltic.
Concern has mounted since September, when nearly two dozen drones crossed over into Poland amid a large-scale Russian drone attack on Ukraine. Days later, three Russian military jets violated Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes.
Subsequent activity near the border has forced European countries to close airports and borders, and to reconsider how equipped they are to deal with foreign intrusions.
Analysts say th