Thursday, March 28

What are “tactical” nukes and how likely is Russia to use them after Putin's threats

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared his willingness to use nuclear weapons to defend the national territory, raising concerns that he could launch a small or “tactical” nuclear weapon in Ukraine.

This is not the first time that Putin has made such threats. At the beginning of his incursion into Ukraine, the Russian president claimed that he was mobilizing “deterrence forces”, which were interpreted as his nuclear weapons, particularly tactical weapons.

But the president of the United States United States, Joe Biden immediately warned his counterpart that doing so would be the most serious military escalation since World War II.

What are tactical nuclear weapons?

Tactical nuclear weapons are small nuclear warheads with delivery systems intended for use on the battlefield or in a limited attack.

They are designed to destroy enemy targets in a specific area without causing a wide radioactive discharge.

This distinguishes them from long-range “strategic” nuclear weapons that, during the Cold War, the two warring superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, threatened to launch.

Nuclear weapons tac tics vary enormously in size and power.

The smallest can be a kiloton or less (equivalent to a thousand tons of the explosive TNT).

The largest can reach 100 kilotons.

The effects would depend on the size of the warhead, how far from the ground it detonates, and the local environment.

But for comparison, the bomb that killed some 146,000 people in Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II, was 15 kilotons.

Misil de crucero Kalibr de Rusia
Russia’s Kalibr cruise missiles can carry nuclear warheads and conventional. They can be launched from ships or planes and have a range of 1,500-two,500 km.

What tactical nuclear weapons does Russia have?

According to US intelligence, Russia has about 2, tactical nukes.

These can be placed on various types of missiles that are normally used to launch conventional bombs.

They can even be fired as artillery shells on a battlefield.

Also have been developed to aircraft and ships, for example, torpedoes and depth charges to target submarines.

USA says Russia has recently invested heavily in such weapons to improve their range and accuracy.

These warheads are believed to be in storage facilities, rather than deployed and ready to fire.

Sistemas rusos capaces de transportar armas nucleares tácticas

When have tactical nuclear weapons been used?

Tactical nuclear weapons have never been used in conflict.

Nuclear powers such as the US and Russia have also found effective ways to destroy large targets in the battlefield using conventional munitions.

Furthermore, until now no country with atomic potential has been willing to be responsible for unleashing an outright nuclear war by using tactical nuclear weapons.

However, the concern of the international community is that Russia might be willing to use smaller tactical weapons instead of missiles larger strategic arms.

“It is possible that they believe that the use of smaller arms does not cross the red line that transforms the armed conflict into a nuclear conflict, says Patricia Lewis, head of the international security program at the Chatham House think tank.

“They could see it as a use of conventional forces.”

Artillería Malka.
Russian forces can fire small nuclear warheads using conventional artillery.
Sistemas rusos capaces de transportar armas nucleares tácticas

How worrying are Putin’s nuclear threats?

Putin has made more than one reference to Russia’s nuclear weapons, apparently to try to create a feeling of fear.

In February 2022, shortly before the invasion of Ukraine, President Putin put Russian nuclear forces on “special combat alert” and carried out nuclear exercises s high-profile .

More recently, he said: “If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all available means to protect Russia and our people. This is not a bluff”.

Russia plans to annex the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine that it has occupied. In Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia, in the east of the country, controversial referendums have already begun to create “people’s republics”, while Putin reiterated defending territorial integrity at all costs.

Artillería Malka.

  • Begin the criticized referendums in the occupied Ukrainian territories in which the annexation to Russia is voted
  • Número total de ojivas nucleares

    American spies see this as a signal ddirected to the West to persuade it not to intervene in Ukraine, not as a sign that it is planning a nuclear war.

    But others worry that if Russia suffers further setbacks, it might be tempted to use a smaller tactical weapon in Ukraine to force change with the purpose of breaking the deadlock or avoiding defeat.

    “I am legitimately concerned that in that circumstance, Putin could use a nuclear weapon ar -most likely on the ground in the Ukraine to terrorize the whole world and get away with it. We haven’t gotten to that point yet,” says James Acton, a nuclear expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Pace in Washington DC.

    How has the United States responded?

    The president of the United States. , Joe Biden, warned Russia not to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine.

    During an interview with the CBS news channel, Biden stated that such action “would change the face of war from one way not seen since the Second World War”, adding that it would have great consequences.

    It is difficult to predict how the United States and NATO would respond to any use of nuclear weapons.

    They may not want to escalate the situation further and risk all-out nuclear war, but they may also want to draw a line.

    This could mean a harsh conventional response in nuclear place.

    However, there is a reason whyRussia could not use nuclear weapons: China.

    “Russia relies heavily on Chinese support” says Dr. Heather Williams, a nuclear expert at Kings College London.

    “ But China has a “don’t be the first to use” doctrine regarding nuclear weapons. So if Putin did it, it would be incredibly difficult for China to support him”.

    “If he uses them, he would probably lose China”, says the expert.

    “Once you’ve crossed the nuclear threshold, there’s no obvious stopping point,” adds James Acton.

    “I don’t think anyone can say what that world would be like”.


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    Artillería Malka.

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