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3. USSR Nuclear Tests and Peaceful Nuclear Explosions (1949-1990)

No. Date (MT) Location Type Purpose Yield
range, kt		 Comments
1949 Program
1 08/29/49 STS surface NWR 22 First Soviet nuclear test; first nuclear explosion at STS; first surface test
1951 Program
2 09/24/51 STS surface NWR 38  
3 10/18/51 STS air NWR 42 First Soviet air test; aerial bomb drop
1953 Program
4 08/12/53 STS surface NWR 400 First Soviet thermonuclear explosion; the highest yield surface nuclear explosion
5 08/23/53 STS air NWR 28  
6 09/03/53 STS air NWR 5.8  
7 09/08/53 STS air NWR 1.6  
8 09/10/53 STS air NWR 4.9  
1954 Program
9 09/14/54 Totsk, MoD test site, Orenburg Region, Russian Federation air ME 40 Military exercise with a real nuclear detonation
10 09/29/54 STS air NWR 0.2  
11 10/01/54 STS air NWR 0.03  
12 10/03/54 STS air NWR 2  
13 10/05/54 STS surface NWR 4  
14 10/08/54 STS air NWR 0.8  
15 10/19/54 STS surface NWR < 0.001 First failure of nuclear charge
16 10/23/54 STS air NWR 62  
17 10/26/54 STS air NWR 2.8  
18 10/30/54 STS surface NWR 10  
1955 Program
19 07/29/55 STS surface NWR 1.3  
20 08/02/55 STS surface NWR 12  
21 08/05/55 STS surface NWR 1.2  
22 09/21/55 NTSNZ underwater WIE 3.5 First test at NTSNZ.
23 11/06/55 STS air NWR 250  
24 11/22/55 STS air NWR 1,600 First test of Soviet thermonuclear charge prototype; the highest yield nuclear explosion at STS
1956 Program
25 02/02/56 near Aralsk, Kazakhstan surface WIE 0.3 First surface nuclear explosion with missile launch from MTR
26 03/16/56 STS surface NWR 14  
27 03/25/56 STS surface NWR 5.5  
28 08/24/56 STS surface NWR 27  
29 08/30/56 STS air NWR 900  
30 09/02/56 STS air NWR 51  
31 09/10/56 STS air NWR 38  
32 11/17/56 STS air NWR 900  
33 12/14/56 STS air NWR 40  
1957 Program
34 01/19/57 MTR air WIE 10 First air nuclear explosion with missile launch from MTR
35 03/08/57 STS air NWR 19  
36 04/03/57 STS air NWR 42  
37 04/06/57 STS air NWR 57  
38 04/10/57 STS air NWR 680  
39 04/12/57 STS air NWR 22  
40 04/16/57 STS air NWR 320  
41 08/22/57 STS air NWR 520  
42 08/26/57 STS air SAM 0.1 First test for nuclear weapons safety
43 09/07/57 NTSNZ surface FMS 32 The only surface test at NTSNZ
44 09/13/57 STS air NWR 5.9  
45 09/24/57 NTSNZ air NWR 1,600 First air test at NTSNZ; aerial bomb drop
46 09/26/57 STS air NWR 13  
47 10/06/57 NTSNZ air NWR 2,900  
48 10/10/57 NTSNZ underwater WIE 10  
49 12/28/57 STS air NWR 12  
1958 Program
50 01/04/58 STS air NWR 1.3  
51 01/17/58 STS air NWR 0.5  
52 02/23/58 NTSNZ air NWR 860  
53 02/27/58 NTSNZ air NWR 250  
54 02/27/58 NTSNZ air NWR 1,500  
55 03/13/58 STS air NWR 1.2  
56 03/14/58 STS air NWR 35  
57 03/14/58 NTSNZ air FMS 40  
58 03/15/58 STS air NWR 14  
59 03/18/58 STS air FMS 0.16  
60 03/20/58 STS air NWR 12  
61 03/21/58 NTSNZ air NWR 650  
62 03/22/58 STS air NWR 18  
63 09/30/58 NTSNZ air NWR 1,200  
64 09/30/58 NTSNZ air NWR 900  
65 10/02/58 NTSNZ air NWR 290  
66 10/02/58 NTSNZ air FMS 40  
67 10/04/58 NTSNZ air NWR 9  
68 10/05/58 NTSNZ air NWR 15  
69 10/06/58 NTSNZ air NWR 5.5  
70 10/10/58 NTSNZ air NWR 68  
71 10/12/58 NTSNZ air NWR 1,450  
72 10/15/58 NTSNZ air NWR 1,500  
73 10/18/58 NTSNZ air NWR 2,900  
74 10/19/58 NTSNZ air FMS 40  
75 10/19/58 NTSNZ air NWR < 0.001  
76 10/20/58 NTSNZ air NWR 440  
77 10/21/58 NTSNZ air NWR 2  
78 10/22/58 NTSNZ air NWR 2,800  
79 10/24/58 NTSNZ air NWR 1,000  
80 10/25/58 NTSNZ air NWR 190  
81 10/25/58 NTSNZ air FMS < 0.1  
82 11/01/58 MTR air WIE 10  
83 11/03/58 MTR air WIE 10  
1961 Program
84 09/01/61 STS air NWR 16  
85 09/04/61 STS air NWR 9  
86 09/05/61 STS air NWR 16  
87 09/06/61 STS air NWR 1.1  
88 09/06/61 MTR air WIE 11  
89 09/09/61 STS surface SAM 0.38  
90 09/10/61 NTSNZ air NWR 2,700  
91 09/10/61 NTSNZ air NWR 12  
92 09/10/61 STS air NWR 0.88  
93 09/11/61 STS air NWR 0.30  
94 09/12/61 NTSNZ air NWR 1,150  
95 09/13/61 NTSNZ air NWR 6  
96 09/13/61 STS air NWR 0.001 - 20  
97 09/14/61 STS surface NWR 0.4  
98 09/14/61 NTSNZ air NWR 1,200  
99 09/16/61 NTSNZ air NWR 830  
100 09/17/61 STS air NWR 20 - 150  
101 09/18/61 NTSNZ air NWR 1,000  
102 09/18/61 STS surface SAM 0.004  
103 09/18/61 STS air NWR 0.75  
104 09/19/61 STS surface SAM 0.03  
105 09/20/61 STS air NWR 4.8  
106 09/20/61 NTSNZ air NWR 150 - 1,500  
107 09/21/61 STS air NWR 0.80  
108 09/22/61 NTSNZ air NWR 260  
109 09/26/61 STS air NWR 1.2  
110 10/01/61 STS air NWR 3  
111 10/02/61 NTSNZ air NWR 250  
112 10/04/61 STS air NWR 13  
113 10/04/61 NTSNZ air NWR 1,500 - 10,000  
114 10/06/61 NTSNZ air NWR 4,000  
115 10/06/61 MTR air WIE 40  
116 10/08/61 NTSNZ air NWR 15  
117 10/11/61 STS underground tunnel V-1 FMS 1 First Soviet underground test; first underground test at STS and first underground tunnel test
118 10/12/61 STS air NWR 15  
119 10/17/61 STS air NWR 6.6  
120 10/19/61 STS air NWR 0.001 - 20  
121 10/20/61 NTSNZ air NWR 1,450  
122 10/23/61 NTSNZ underwater WIE 4.8  
123 10/23/61 NTSNZ air NWR 12,500  
124 10/25/61 NTSNZ air NWR 300  
125 10/25/61 STS air FMS 0.50  
126 10/27/61 NTSNZ water surface WIE 16  
127 10/27/61 MTR space WIE 1.2 First Soviet space explosion
128 10/27/61 MTR space WIE 1.2  
129 10/30/61 STS air NWR 0.09  
130 10/30/61 NTSNZ air NWR 50,000 The highest yield Soviet test
131 10/31/61 NTSNZ air NWR 5,000  
132 10/31/61 NTSNZ air NWR 150 - 1,500  
133 11/01/61 STS air NWR 2.7  
134 11/02/61 NTSNZ air NWR 120  
135 11/02/61 NTSNZ air NWR 280  
136 11/02/61 STS air NWR 0.6  
137 11/03/61 STS surface SAM < 0.001  
138 11/03/61 STS air NWR 0.9  
139 11/04/61 NTSNZ air NWR 15  
140 11/04/61 NTSNZ air NWR 150 - 1,500  
141 11/04/61 NTSNZ air NWR 6  
142 11/04/61 STS surface NWR 0.2  

Note:

  • The geographic names of the nuclear test and explosion locations correspond to their names during existence of the USSR.
  • The dates correspond to the Moscow Time (MT) calendar.
  • The last table column (Comments) gives mainly type features for certain nuclear tests.
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