Had Mutual Accusations With The West, This Is The Current Strength Of Russia's Nuclear Weapons

Russia's 9K720 Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile. (Wikimedia Commons/Vitaly V. Kuzmin)

JAKARTA - Russia and Western countries led by the United States have accused each other of nuclear tensions last month, with the leaders of the two countries quipping at each other.

Last month, Russia's Foreign Ministry responded to Western hostile rhetoric over weapons of mass destruction by stressing that Moscow is not threatening anyone with nuclear weapons.

Russian Military Doctrine stipulates that Moscow will only use its nuclear weapons in response to the aggression of other countries with the use of weapons of mass destruction, or when Russia's very existence is threatened.

9, Russia is currently said to have a total of 5,977 nuclear warheads, with about 1,426 of them deployed.

Meanwhile, to 'deliver' it, Russia has 513 delivery vehicles that include intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), strategic bombers, nuclear-powered submarines to hypersonic glide vehicles.

Russian Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber. (Wikimedia Commons/Alex Beltyukov)

From the ranks of ICBMs, Russia has Sarmat, Yars and Topol which the country's armed forces can use to carry out retaliatory attacks in accordance with the military doctrine adopted.

Russia also has the Tupolev Tu-160 and Tu-95 long-range bombers, Borei-class submarines equipped with Bulava missiles, to the Avangard and Kinzhal hypersonic glide vehicles.

As for a simpler tactical nuclear force, Russia can use artillery shells, land and ship missile systems, anti-missile systems, sea mines to torpedoes.

Let's not forget that the Iskander-M mobile short-range ballistic missile system can carry a tactical nuclear warhead with a range of 500 kilometers (310 miles).

Each of these missiles is capable of carrying a partial nuclear payload equivalent to 50 kilotons of TNT. In comparison, during the 1945 US bombing of Hiroshima, a 13-kiloton aerial bomb was used.

The tactical nuclear weapons-related delivery vehicle also includes modernized versions of the Tu-22M3 bomber as well as Su-24M and Su-34 fighter jets.

Russia's Topol intercontinental ballistic missile. (Wikimedia Commons/Vitaly V. Kuzmin)

With Moscow's special military operations in Ukraine underway, Britain has repeatedly accused Russia of developing plans to use tactical nuclear weapons against its closest neighbour.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Sputnik Washington's accusations were baseless and the West was increasing its nuclear rhetoric to try to make the international community believe Moscow was preparing to launch a tactical nuclear strike on Ukraine.

"Amid the events unfolding in Ukraine, the United States and the countries that depend on it are actively introducing nuclear rhetoric into circulation. They are trying to present it as if our country is preparing to launch an attack using weapons of mass destruction. Again, we must explained, Russia does not threaten anyone with the use of nuclear weapons," Ryabkov said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, for his part, underlined that the Kremlin has never said anything "proactively" in terms of its use of nuclear weapons.

He stressed that speculation about Moscow's alleged nuclear threat is being used by the West to influence countries that have a more friendly attitude towards Russia.

Late last month, US President Joe Biden expressed skepticism about Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments that he had no intention of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

"If he has no intention, why does he keep talking about it? Why is he talking about the ability to use tactical nuclear weapons?" President Biden said in an interview with NewsNation.