New york: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on all nuclear-armed nations to uphold existing testing moratoriums and push forward with a comprehensive global ban on nuclear tests. Guterres emphasized the destructive impact of nuclear tests in a statement shared on the social media platform X, highlighting how they erode trust, intensify nuclear arms races, and adversely affect communities still dealing with the aftermath of past tests.

According to Anadolu Agency, Guterres's plea comes in the wake of Russia's recent announcement regarding the training launch of a "nuclear-capable" intercontinental ballistic missile. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the missile, launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, successfully hit its target at the Kura training ground in Kamchatka, demonstrating the missile system's capabilities.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which aims to prohibit all nuclear detonations, was introduced in 1996 but has not yet achieved full legal force due to a lack of ratification from several key nations. The treaty's activation requires the endorsement of all "Annex 2" states, which include countries with nuclear technology during the treaty's formation. The United States, Russia, China, Iran, Israel, Egypt, India, Pakistan, and North Korea are among the nations that have yet to ratify the agreement.

Despite the challenges, significant progress has been made, with 188 states signing and 179 ratifying the treaty as of 2026. Guterres's renewed call for action seeks to strengthen global commitment to ending nuclear testing and ensuring a safer, more secure world.