By Vladimir Soldatkin MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered his top officials to draft proposals for a possible test of nuclear weapons, something Moscow has not done since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Andrey Belousov, Russia's defense minister, made the announcement after President Donald Trump said the US would start nuclear tests.

The Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile will take flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Energy Secretary Christopher Wright clarifies U.S. nuclear testing plans, confirming no explosive detonations but systems testing of weapons components instead.

Russia announced "next-generation" weapons in 2018, including the Poseidon torpedo, which can be fired by the new "Khabarovsk."

After his recent remarks about resuming nuclear testing, President Trump told "60 Minutes" "we're the only country that doesn't test."

Energy Secretary Chris Wright says President Donald Trump's call for immediate resumption of nuclear weapons tests will not include explosions.

Democrats secured significant wins against Republicans in key races across the US on Tuesday. A major theme among Democratic candidates was countering President Donald Trump’s agenda, with campaigns centered on protecting democracy, cost-of-living issues and more. Here are the results:

Fermi, a buzzy startup that recently went public, is positioned to benefit from the AI data-center boom and a potential nuclear-power renaissance.

Officials in Washington say the U.S. has identified key targets inside Venezuela that are tied to drug trafficking operations.