Russia Has More Nuclear Weapons Than the USA

Do you know that Russia actually has more nuclear weapons than the USA? How many nuclear weapons does Russia have? What other countries have nuclear?

Fact: Russia has more nuclear weapons than the USA! Are you surprised? All this while, I thought that the USA has more nuclear weapons compared to Russia as the former has been making an impression that they are far superior compared to Putin-led country. The recent economic sanctions on Russia due to its Ukrain invasion has driven President Putin to put Russia's nuclear forces on "special" notice, prompting anxieties throughout the world.

Russia Has More Nuclear Weapons Than the USA

But analysts think his actions should generally be regarded as a warning to other nations not to increase their participation in Ukraine, rather than announcing any willingness to deploy nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons have existed for over 80 years and many countries consider them as a deterrent that continues to ensure their national security.

How Many Nuclear Weapons Does Russia Have Right Now?

All statistics for nuclear weapons are estimates but, according to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia possesses 5,977 nuclear warheads - the instruments that trigger a nuclear explosion - however, this includes roughly 1,500 that are retired and slated to eventually be disassembled.

Of the remaining 4,500 or so, most are considered strategic nuclear weapons - ballistic missiles, or rockets, which can be targeted over large distances. These are the weapons commonly linked with nuclear war. The others nuclear weapons in Russia's arsenal are comparatively smaller in scale, less-lethal nuclear bombs that can be deployed for short-range utilization on battlefields or at sea.

But this does not imply Russia has thousands of long-range nuclear missiles ready to go. Experts believe roughly 1,500 Russian warheads are presently "deployed", meaning sited at missile and bomber sites or on submarines at sea.

Russia Nuclear Weapons Compared To Other Countries

In total, nine known nations have nuclear weapons namely US, Russia, UK, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea and Pakistan. It is worrying to know that these 9 countries have a total of 5,943 nuclear weapons compared to Russia's 5977! In other words, Russia alone has more nuclear weapons than the 8 other countries combined? This is ridiculously dangerous, no?

China, France, Russia, the US, and the UK are among the 191 governments that signed up to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) (NPT). Under the deal, they have to diminish their inventory of nuclear weapons and, in theory, are committed to their full eradication.

The treaty has been effective in reducing the number of weapons stockpiled in those countries since the 1970 and 80s. However, countries like India, Israel, and Pakistan have never signed the NPT - and North Korea departed in 2003. Will this be a problem for the rest of the world in the future? Will these countries abuse their nuclear weapons?

Interestingly, Israel is the only country of the nine never to have openly admitted its nuclear project - yet it is commonly thought to have nuclear weapons. Ukraine on the other hand has no nuclear weapons at its disposal and, despite assertions by President Putin, there is no proof it has sought to obtain them. It is an irony since Russia has more nuclear weapons than all the other countries in the world combined.

How Dangerous and Lethal Are Nuclear Weapons?

Nuclear weapons are meant to deliver maximum havoc. The degree of the destruction relies on a number of parameters, including:

• the size of the warhead-the bigger the deadlier of course
• how far above the earth it detonates
• the surrounding environment

But even the tiniest nuclear bomb might inflict massive loss of life and enduring damage. Do you know that killed up to 146,000 people in Hiroshima, Japan, during World War Two, was merely 15 kilotons. No disrespect, but that was merely child's play if you were to compare it to the nuclear weapons that the 9 countries possess right now!

Nuclear weapons today can be more than 1,000 kilotons. Little is predicted to survive in the immediate impact zone of a nuclear explosion. After a blinding light, there comes a tremendous fireball and blast wave that can damage buildings and structures over several miles.

Will Nuclear Deterrence Work?

The rationale for retaining high quantities of nuclear weapons has been having the potential to fully destroy your opponent would prevent them from attacking you. This has of course become the famous so-called MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction). Will MAD be triggered during this Ukraine invasion as other countries pile more pressure on Russia?

Though there have been many nuclear tests and continual growth in their technological complexity and destructive capability, nuclear weapons have not been employed in armed combat since 1945. Russian doctrine likewise recognizes nuclear weapons only as deterrence and identifies four scenarios for their use:

4 Reasons Russia Will Use Their Nuclear Weapons

1. When any of the territories of the Russian Federation or its allies is hit by ballistic missiles.
2. The use of nuclear weapons or other forms of weapons of mass destruction against the Russian Federation or its allies
3. An attack on the vital governmental or military establishment of the Russian Federation that undermines its nuclear capability
4. Aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons when the very survival of the state is in peril

Will Russia and Other Countries Use Their Nuclear Weapons?

The likelihood of nuclear conflict may have gone increased marginally but remains low. Even if Putin's statement is designed as a warning rather than communicating any current willingness to deploy the weapons, there is still the potential of mistake if one side misinterprets the other or events get out of hand. UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has maintained that there is no change in the real posture of Russia's nuclear weapons. That will be watched intently of course. However, we cannot deny the fact that Russia has more nuclear weapons than everyone else right now and that is frightening!

Images credit: BBC