Russia’s nuclear forces have been placed on “special” alert by President Putin, prompting anxieties throughout the world.
Analysts believe his actions should be read as a message to other nations not to extend their participation in Ukraine, rather than as a wish to deploy nuclear weapons.
Nuclear weapons have been around for over 80 years, and many countries consider them as a deterrent that ensures their national security.
How many nuclear weapons does Russia have?
All nuclear weapons counts are estimates, but according to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia possesses 5,977 nuclear warheads – the mechanisms that trigger a nuclear explosion – however this figure includes around 1,500 that have been retired and are due to be decommissioned.
The majority of the remaining 4,500 or so nuclear weapons are classified as strategic nuclear weapons – ballistic missiles or rockets that can be targeted across large distances. These are the weapons most commonly linked with nuclear warfare.
The others are smaller, less lethal nuclear bombs designed for use on battlefields or at sea.
This, however, does not imply that Russia has hundreds of long-range nuclear missiles ready to go.
Experts believe that around 1,500 Russian warheads are now “deployed,” meaning that they are located at missile and bomber sites or on submarines at sea.
China, France, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom are among the 191 countries that have signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
They are required under the deal to diminish their inventory of nuclear weapons and, in theory, to eliminate them entirely.
Since the 1970s and 1980s, it has also reduced the quantity of warheads stockpiled in those nations.
India, Israel, and Pakistan were never signatories to the NPT, while North Korea quit in 2003.
Israel is the only one of the nine countries that has never openly confirmed its nuclear programme, despite the fact that it is commonly assumed to have nuclear weapons.
Ukraine has no nuclear weapons and, contrary to President Putin’s claims, there is no proof that it has sought to obtain them.
What does ‘nuclear deterrent’ mean and has it worked?
The argument for keeping a large number of nuclear weapons has been that having the ability to completely destroy your adversary would deter them from attacking you.
Mutually assured destruction became the most well-known word for this (Mad).
Despite several nuclear tests and a rise in their technological complexity and destructive capability, nuclear weapons have not been employed in an armed conflict since 1945.
The argument for keeping a large number of nuclear weapons has been that having the ability to completely destroy your adversary would deter them from attacking you.
Mutually assured destruction became the most well-known word for this (Mad).
Despite several nuclear tests and a rise in their technological complexity and destructive capability, nuclear weapons have not been employed in an armed conflict since 1945.
