Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–14, Part 2, Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1973–1976

205. Telegram 12672 From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State¹

Moscow, August 11, 1976, 1323Z.

12672. Subj: Soviet Nuclear Explosions.

1. During brief conversation at dinner August 10, Political Counselor asked Ambassador Roland Timerbayev, Deputy Head International Organizations Division, MFA, about two recent Soviet nuclear explosions which press reports allege may have exceeded TTBT and PNE threshold. In reply, Timerbayev said that his government was in the process of issuing a press statement through the Soviet Embassy in Washington which would clarify this matter. Press statement would assert flatly that Soviets have not exceeded limits imposed by treaty.

2. When asked whether one of explosions was a PNE, Timerbayev replied that one of these explosions clearly did not take place at the traditional nuclear testing site and that the conclusion to be drawn from this is clear. In essence, this was meant as confirmation that one explosion was indeed a PNE.

Stoessel

1. Summary: The Embassy reported on an August 10 dinner conversation between the Embassy’s Political Counselor and Deputy Chief of the International Organizations Department of the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs Timerbayev, which concerned the recent Soviet nuclear explosions.

   Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760309–0904. Confidential. Repeated for information to the consulate in Leningrad.