A-Test Series Interrupted, Gorbachev Says

MOSCOW —  Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev said Tuesday that his government interrupted a scheduled series of nuclear tests in order to begin a five-month moratorium on nuclear test explosions.

In remarks to Tass, the official Soviet news agency, Gorbachev challenged President Reagan’s assertion that the Soviet moratorium was a propaganda ploy because Moscow had finished a major series of tests just before the moratorium began a week ago.

“In order to introduce the unilateral moratorium, we had to interrupt the testing program, leaving it unfinished,” Gorbachev said.

Gorbachev renewed an invitation to the United States to resume negotiations immediately on a total nuclear test ban. Reagan had rejected the proposal that the United States also suspend testing, saying it was not in the U.S. interest at this time.

Gorbachev contended: “A moratorium is an important step on the way to an end to the further sophistication of lethal nuclear weapons. Besides, the longer the period without tests, the more rapid will be the process of ‘aging’ of the stockpiled weapons.

“And, finally, a moratorium creates more favorable conditions for reaching agreement on the termination of nuclear tests and for making headway toward the elimination of nuclear weapons altogether.”

According to U.S. officials, a total ban on nuclear tests would not represent a serious arms control measure. A test ban, they have said, would not affect existing arsenals, and the capacity to continue producing such weapons would remain.