US delays test of atomic missile days after Russia’s ‘nuclear rhetoric’ move

Minuteman III Inter Continental Ballistic Missile, which was scheduled for a test launch by the United States, will be left untested for now. The country’s Department of Defense called off the test in an attempt to curb worsening relations with the east. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby made the announcement on Wednesday.

The news comes days after Moscow announced that is turning up the nuclear alert level in the country. Meanwhile, the Russian forces continued their invasion of Ukraine.

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While many western leaders dismissed the move as a mere “rhetoric”, Russia’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov said a possible World War III may be a nuclear conflict. United States President Joe Biden, when asked if Americans should worry about a nuclear war, said “no.”

Ukraine tagged the Russian move as a “pressure tactic” and said it was “an attempt to raise stakes and to put additional pressure on the Ukrainian delegation.”

“We recognise, at this moment of tension, how critical it is that both the United States and Russia bear in mind the risk of miscalculation and take steps to reduce those risks,” Kirby said in a statement on Wednesday.

He added, “We did not take this decision lightly, but instead to demonstrate that we are a responsible nuclear power”, according to reports from Reuters.

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The cancellation of the test received flak from some US lawmakers. Jim Inhofe, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Republican Party, said the delay would impact the country’s nuclear deterrent.

What is the Minuteman III Inter Continental Ballistic Missile?

Minuteman III is an ICMB that can be equipped with nuclear capabilities if required. According to reports from Reuters, the missile can reach a speed of up to 15,000 miles per hour and has a range of over 6,000 miles.