How 'Real' Is Russia's Nuclear Deterrent Threat To Ukraine And The World?

Russia carried out the most significant military operation in Europe after the second world war with its Ukrainian invasion. The European Union and the United States are heavily criticising Russia's action against the neighbouring country, after which it has decided to put its nuclear deterrent forces on alert. Russia has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world. Experts believe that even though a nuclear invasion is highly unlikely, it remains a cause of concern.

The only time nuclear weapons have been used in war was when the US bombed Japan in 1945 when the former had a monopoly over the weapons. The Soviet Union successfully tested its first nuclear missile in 1949.

What Are Nuclear Deterrants?

The idea of keeping nuclear deterrent forces on alert is a sign that the country could execute a nuclear operation in a short duration if the need so arises. The short notice period makes the enemy less likely to start a nuclear attack. Experts believe that with increased military buildup comes extreme uncertainty in the face of war. Moreover, apart from the traditional nuclear weaponry, Putin has non-strategic nuclear weapons, such as shorter-range ballistic and cruise missiles. The weapons are named 'non-strategic' because they could not reach the US, but there is little or no comfort amongst the European countries.

Nuclear Warfares And Russia

Even though Russia is now left with just over 7,000 nuclear weapons, one cannot deny that the country once had more than 45,000 nuclear warheads in 1986. Russia's military tools have always been shrouded with secrecy; however, the estimated readings are horrifying, especially in the face of a complex geopolitical situation. In 2014 during the annexation of Crimea, Russia had put its nuclear deterrents on standby; however, the threat did cause discomfort, and ultimately Russia achieved its objective.

Only five countries in the world have the nuclear capabilities of hitting any target globally, namely, the US, UK, Russia, China and France. The five countries have signed NPT that guarantees that the countries would neither use nuclear weapons in the face of the war nor help any other country build similar capabilities.

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