35 Years After Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Choice Still Challenges the World By Katsuhiro Asagiri Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

35 Years After Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Choice Still Challenges the World By Katsuhiro Asagiri TOKYO / ASTANA, Aug 31 2026 (IPS) - Across the vast steppe of northeastern Kazakhstan, the scars of the Cold War remain visible. At the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, the Soviet Union conducted 456 nuclear tests between 1949 and 1989, exposing nearby communities to radiation and leaving health and environmental consequences that have endured across generations. https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/08/35-years-after-semipalatinsk-kazakhstans-nuclear-choice-still-challenges-the-world/ Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -