Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he has increased the readiness of Russia’s nuclear arms forces. The country’s arsenal is large, but three NATO countries have a comparable potential of the mass destruction weapons, British public broadcaster BBC reports.
Data on nuclear weapons are estimates, but, according to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has 5,977 nuclear warheads – the devices that trigger a nuclear explosion. This figure includes some 1,500 that are retired and set to be dismantled.
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Out of the remaining around 4,500 or so, most are considered strategic nuclear weapons. These are the ones usually associated with nuclear war, which can be targeted over long distances. Only 1,588 Russian warheads are currently «deployed», experts estimate, meaning situated at missile and bomber bases or on submarines.
In addition to Russia, eight countries in the world have nuclear weapons: China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, the UK and the US. Out of the NATO countries US is estimated to have 5 428 nuclear warheads, France – 290 and the UK – 225, BBC reports.
Russia’s nuclear warhead arsenal compares to that of NATO
