VIENNA, December 14. /TASS/. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization has said Russia has completed its segment of the International Monitoring System that aims to detect any nuclear tests.
"Russia's segment of the International Monitoring System is now complete! The final station, AS92, has been certified and is now transmitting crucial data," the organization said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
CTBTO’s Executive Secretary Robert Floyd in a separate statement congratulated the country and the organization’s staff for their "dedication to this monumental achievement."
"The 32 stations in the Russian Federation’s now complete IMS segment are crucial components of the global network that helps maintain peace and security by making sure that no nuclear test goes undetected," he said in the statement.
The project took 13 years to complete, according to the statement. The organization said the work ran into several hurdles related to the location of the last station, which is in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The challenges included low temperatures during the winter, heavy rainfall and steep terrain. Also, rare flowers, listed in the Russian Red Book of endangered flora, were discovered near the construction site and had to be replanted elsewhere.
In November, the Russian Defense Ministry said the Russian segment of the International Monitoring System will be completed by the end of 2023. Such stations track underground explosions, and their data can be used to determine the origin of seismic events.