The Russia and Ukraine war has been on for quite a while now. While many predicted that it would be a matter of days until Kyiv fell, the war has still not ended. All this while, one concern that the whole west and NATO hold is Russia’s nuclear arsenal. Russia, the country with the world’s largest nuclear arsenal has kept everyone around them on toes.
Even before the war, Russia has flexed their arsenal multiple times. This show of strength has flowed from land-based ballistic missiles, submarine-launched weaponry, and aircraft-deployed bombs.
Russia vs The United States
The United States has retained sheer silence regarding its nuclear capabilities while Russia has theatrically displayed its advanced arsenal. Amid the ongoing tensions, this showcasing of power has served a warning for nations considering higher levels of engagement in the Ukraine war.
Estimates from the Federation of American Scientists put Russia’s warhead inventory at 5,977, while the U.S. not lacking much behind with 5,428 warheads. The remarkable similarity in these numbers is not coincidental but a result of international arms control agreements that enforce limits on the size of each country’s nuclear stockpile.
Russia’s Nuclear Arsenal strategy
Russians centralize their nuclear defense strategy around the nuclear triad—a three-pronged military force structure, nuclear-missile-armed submarines, and strategic aircraft. While the military force consists of land-launched nuclear missiles, the strategic aircraft are equipped with nuclear bombs and missiles.
Notably, Russia emphasizes non-strategic nuclear weapons, with a persistently maintained inventory over the last three decades. All this while the US has proportionally scaled back its stock to meet the Russian numbers. This stratagem puts forth a sobering picture of the skewed global distribution of nuclear forces.
To comprehend the scale of the threat that Russia’s nuclear arsenal represents, the explosive force of atomic bombs, measured in kilotons is important. Defensive analysts report that Russian warheads can unleash a power of up to 400 kilotons—25 times the atomic bomb the US used in Hiroshima at the end of World War II.
In recent years, Russia has initiated a modernization drive for its nuclear weaponry, simultaneously developing newer tools. News of this emerged from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s mouth, detailed in broadcasts on Russian state channels.
A Far Reality?
Despite the perceived provocations, one thing remains clear that any nuclear attack would mark a significant damage. Regardless of the escalation of the situation in Ukraine, the consensus is that Russia’s nuclear arsenal is not coming out soon.
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The tense relationship and threats remind us of the Cold War era, when the U.S. and Russia constantly threatened each other with nuclear weapons. Looking back at history, it’s clear that we should avoid going down that dangerous path again.
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As the world looks to contain the situation, understanding Russia’s nuclear arsenal and its potential implications has never been more vital.