MOSCOW — The Soviet Union reacted with outrage Sunday to the first U.S. nuclear test explosion of 1986, saying it was meant to “torpedo” the Kremlin’s moratorium on nuclear tests and showed “contempt for the world”.

In West Germany, spokesman for called it a setback for East West relations.

Although Soviet media commentators called the underground nuclear detonation beneath the Neveda desert Saturday “impudent” and “a disgrace,” they stopped short of saying the Soviet Union would resume testing.

The explosion that “shook buildings in Las Vegas and started a Political earthquake in Washington” also “undermined the very idea of a nuclear free world,” a government news commentator said,

“In giving the order to press the button someone in Washington meant to torpedo the Soviet moratorium and force them to resume testing,” he said.

Pravda, the daily Communist Party newspaper, said the U.S. administration was showing its contempt for the world and disregarding demands by its own people.”

‘The US. test Saturday the first Cf 1986 was also a blow to Soviet leader Michael Gorbachev’s hopes of curbing arms expenditures at home to concentrate on revamping the sluggish Soviet economy a Western diplomat in Moscow said.

“One more test and the Soviet Moratorium is over,” the diplomat said. “Then there is likelihood the Soviets will have to increase defense spending and decrease domestic spending.”

The state controlled Soviet news media said the blast had originally been planned for mid-April, ‘but was set off Saturday “to neutralize public opinion for the moratorium that would have gained momentum in the coming month.

The Soviet Union announced a series of unilateral moratoriums on nuclear tests beginning last August. The self imposed test ban was due to expire March 31, but Gorbachev extended it indefinitely provided the United States did not conduct tests

President Reagan has refused to discontinue USS. ‘testing, Soviet radio, television, and newspaper said the nuclear test in Nevada was a ““brazen challenge to world public opinion.”

The leaders of Argentina, India, Mexico, Sweden, Greece and Tanzania appealed to Reagan and Gorbachev to stop testing two weeks ago.

‘The nuclear test was also a challenge to Washington politics ans.

Radio Moscow said, citing a Capital Hill protest by more than 50 Congressmen,

The Soviet parliament, or Supreme Soviet, sent a message Wednesday to Congress asking the United States not to go ahead with planned nuclear tests.

“A nuclear blast such is the White House’s response to the Soviet Union’s appeal,” Pravda said.

In separate statements in West Germany, Social Democratic Party spokesman Hermann Scheer called the test a “provocation to world opinion,” and party president member Egon Babr described it as a setback for East West relations.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 28, 1986