How many nuclear weapons does Russia have? What to know about Putin’s arsenal

Vladimir Putin has ordered the country’s nuclear-deterrence forces to be put on alert | What to know about Putin’s arsenal

A convoy of nuclear missiles in a military parade on Red Square, Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ordered the country’s nuclear-deterrence forces to be put on alert in a sign of growing tensions with the West over Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the National Space Centre construction site in Moscow.

What kind of nuclear weapons does Russia have?

Russia has more than 1,500 warheads deployed and almost 3,000 in reserve, according to an assessment published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Russia has invested in a variety of ways to employ those warheads, including land-based ballistic missiles that could reach the U.S., submarine-based missiles, and bombs and missiles that could be deployed from aircraft.

Has Mr Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons?

Not explicitly. The Russian president on Feb. 27 raised the alert level of Russia’s nuclear forces, though not to the highest level. He previously warned countries supporting Ukraine there could be “consequences you have never seen.” What other countries have nuclear weapons?

 

The U.S., France and the U.K. make up the Western nuclear weapons powers. China also has built up a nuclear arsenal. India, Pakistan and North Korea also are nuclear-weapons powers. Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons but has never confirmed it has them. The U.S. and Russia have by far the largest inventories of warheads, followed by China. The arguments these countries often put forward for having nuclear weapons is that they deter others from attacking them.

Are there defences against Russian nuclear weapons?

The U.S. has invested heavily into the ability to shoot down ballistic missiles that could carry nuclear warheads. The systems have had a mixed success rate in testing. Russia’s nuclear-missile arsenal could easily overwhelm such systems.

 

Have nuclear weapons ever been used in war?

Yes. The U.S. dropped two nuclear bombs against cities in Japan in the closing days of World War II. The U.S., at the time, was the only country with nuclear weapons. Most modern nuclear warheads are far more destructive than the weapons employed against Japan.

The Wall Street Journal