Underground Blast Detonated by Soviets
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MOSCOW — The Soviet Union on Sunday set off an underground nuclear explosion at the Semipalatinsk test range on the steppes of Central Asia, the Tass news agency reported.
The blast, which Tass said had a yield of up to 20 kilotons, was at least the 21st Soviet test explosion this year, and the second within a week.
One kiloton has the explosive force of 1,000 tons of TNT.
Tass said the latest test blast, at 6 a.m. Moscow time, was conducted “to check the results of research in the field of nuclear explosion physics.” It did not elaborate.
Last Sunday, Tass reported a test blast at Semipalatinsk with a yield of between 20 and 150 kilotons, which it said was conducted to improve Soviet military equipment.
Washington and Moscow have embarked on negotiations in Geneva to end nuclear testing but so far have not come to an agreement.
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