Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

90 Million Dead Possible: Putin Has 2,000 Tactical Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear Weapons
Russian Mobile ICBM. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

On Wednesday, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin suggested he was prepared to use nuclear weapons. Putin made the statement during a televised address when the Russian leader also announced that he had ordered the mobilization of upwards of 300,000 reserve troops in response to Ukraine’s swift recapture of large amounts of territory in recent weeks.

Putin further stressed that the west must take seriously his threat to use nuclear weapons.

“To those who allow themselves such statements regarding Russia, I want to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction, and for separate components and more modern than those of NATO countries, and when the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, to protect Russia and our people, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal,” Putin said in a Wednesday address.

“It’s not a bluff,” he added.

Putin also reiterated Russia’s goal in its now seven-month-old invasion of Ukraine is to “liberate” Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, saying the people there do not want to be part of Ukraine. The separatist leaders of the Russian-controlled Luhansk and Donetsk regions in the Donbas had announced on Tuesday that they were planning to hold votes starting late this week for the territories to declare themselves as part of Russia.

Russian Nuclear Weapons Capabilities

According to data from the Union of Concerned Scientists, some of the missiles Russia has used against Ukraine can also carry nuclear warheads. In addition, the Kremlin currently maintains some 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons with a broad range of yields, from very low to over 100 kilotons.

Those weapons can be delivered by air, ship, and ground-based systems.

Currently, the United States and Russia hold approximately 90 percent of the world’s stockpile of almost 13,000 nuclear weapons. Neither, however, has the capability to “wipe out” the other’s nuclear arsenal in an initial attack. Given that fact, both countries maintain an understanding of “mutually assured destruction,” as any use of strategic nuclear weapons would most certainly invite a nuclear counterattack.

It would also have the potential of a civilization-ending nuclear exchange.

Tactical Nuclear Weapons

Where the issue becomes more complex is in the use of so-called “tactical nuclear weapons,” which Putin might believe he could use in a limited attack – such as a low-yield strike at an isolated military target where few civilians would be harmed.

In addition, Russia may explode a nuclear weapon over the Black Sea to warn NATO countries against aiding Ukraine.

The danger is that Putin could see such weapons as more “useable,” the Union of Concerned Scientists warned, noting that U.S. wargames have predicted that a conflict involving even the use of tactical nuclear weapons could quickly spiral out of control. A Princeton University simulation found that a U.S.-Russian conflict that begins with the use of such weapons could rapidly escalate, resulting in more than 90 million people dead or injured.

What also concerns some in the U.S. intelligence community (IC) is that Russia may be operating on a theory described as “escalate to de-escalate” if it finds itself in conflict with NATO. This would involve doing something dramatic – such as using a tactical nuclear weapon on the battlefield, or as a demonstration over the Black Sea – as a way to frighten the other side into backing down.

Moreover, a concern remains that if Putin feels cornered, he could employ tactical nuclear weapons as “game-changer,” one to break a stalemate or avoid defeat.

Finally, it should be noted that as Moscow has forged a de facto partnership with Beijing, it could be enough to deter Russia from actually using such weapons. Russia continues to be dependent on Chinese support, and Beijing maintains a “no first use” nuclear doctrine. China is unlikely to support Moscow’s use of the weapons, as it gains nothing in the process. However, it would be unwise to consider that Putin is going to accept a loss in Ukraine and if pressed hard enough, he may be willing to risk the future of civilization rather than facing Russia’s defeat.

Expert Biography: A Senior Editor for 1945, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,000 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

Written By

Expert Biography: A Senior Editor for 1945, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,000 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. bill

    September 21, 2022 at 2:48 pm

    Stop it with the fear porn. Putin is smarter than that. He knows it’s a lose/lose scenario for the planet. But it makes good print for writers looking for clicks.

  2. Omega 13

    September 21, 2022 at 3:05 pm

    “It’s not a bluff,” he added.

    Um, yeah it is.

  3. 403Forbidden

    September 21, 2022 at 3:40 pm

    Russia actually has less than half that number available for immediate use.

    In fact, USA currently has more. US right now has about 5,800 nukes but with just 1,800 available for immediate use.

    Still, 1,000 or 1,800, more than enough to burn world twice over.

    The ukraine conflict will end with use of tactical nukes once russia tires of the game.

    Biden won’t have the balls to save kyiv by sacrificing detroit or washington dc.

    Heck, he won’t even guarantee safety of warsaw, oslo or even berlin. Euro cities are mere cannon fodder stuff if push ever comes to shove.

    US & NATO have become so powerful today that tactical nuclear weapons have become only option to win against them while US still hasn’t gotten its hypersonic plan in place.

    In future, to win against US & NATO, russia will need to keep partbof its strategic nuclear strike force in space/LEO.

    I predict victory for russia by end of winter 2022-2023.

  4. SGTSNUFFY

    September 21, 2022 at 4:57 pm

    93 MILLION DEAD AFTER A NUKE EXCHANGE ??? KINDA ON THE LOW SIDE IF YOU HAD THE TRAINING. EVER WONDER WHY THE SOVIETS DIDN’T STORM INTO GERMANY AND EUROPE THRU THE FULDA GAP ?? CAUSE THEY KNEW THAT USING, NUKES, AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS WOULD LEAVE SO MANY DEAD ON BOTHE SIDES THAT EVEN EVERY ARMY COMBINED ON THE PLANET COULDN’T BURYING THE DEAD. 93 MILLION, PFFT MORE LIKE 3 OR 4 BILLION. JUST WHAT BILL GATE AND CHARLES SCHWAB ARE COUNTING ON.

  5. weewayne

    September 21, 2022 at 9:38 pm

    leaving Russia a nuclear waste land for 1,000 years

  6. Fuck Off

    September 22, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    Pure definition of bluff. Standard Russian PR. Stop with this shit posting.

  7. Mario

    September 23, 2022 at 10:01 am

    Bill: “Putin is smarter than that”
    Are you sure Bill? A smart person has never started a game that he cannot win. And, yes: putin knew that his army was a nest of undesirables, corrupt and lazy.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement