"Politicians forced the nuclear test ban on us," said Dr. Radiy Ilkayev, a leading expert at Russia's military Federal Nuclear Center. "But nuclear tests are necessary for preserving the safety and reliability of nuclear weapons."
Ilkayev took part in a discussion on Russia's nuclear arsenal.
Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev announced a unilateral moratorium on testing in October 1991. President Boris Yeltsin later endorsed it. Russian experts say the ban left Russia far behind the United States which performed more tests.
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