The Russian advance on Ukrainian land is raising concerns worldwide, especially from the rulers who fear that the use of nuclear weapons could proliferate after some insinuations by Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, who said that the West could face “major consequences than anyone they’ve faced in history.
This situation has aroused the curiosity of many people in relation to the nuclear capacity that the planet currently possesses. Which countries have nuclear weapons?how many do they have?
Currently, there are 12,705 nuclear warheads recognized in the world, which are distributed among nine different countries, as stated Insider.
Russia: 5,977
Russia is the country with the most nuclear warheads. Much of this capacity responds to the Soviet Union erawhich began work on its nuclear weapons program in the 1940s.
After the Cold War arms race between the Soviet Union and the United States, all the nuclear warheads scattered throughout communist territory were returned to Russia, where most were dismantled.
USA: 5,428
The US was the architect of the first detonation of a nuclear bomb in history. It was the country that bears the burden of having started the nuclear age with the manhattan project.
The US nuclear power will also be remembered in history for the bloodshed of Hiroshima y Nagasakiwhere two nuclear bombs launched by the North American country killed tens of thousands of Japanese.
China: 350
For its part, despite being the country with the third largest nuclear power, it boasts nearly 5,000 heads less than Russia and the USwho owe all that weapons capacity to the Cold War.
In this case, China maintains a commitment not to resort to nuclear weapons unless another country attacks your territory first. Something that Russia and the US are not committed to.
It should be noted that the exact number of nuclear warheads that China collects is nothing more than an estimate by the Arms Control Association, since the country keeps the exact number secret, although its recent investment could increase this figure to 1,000 heads.
France: 290
France began building nuclear weapons when, during the Cold War, President Charles de Gaulle felt that the country needed to gather nuclear power independent of the US and NATOsince he believed that these would not defend French territory in the event of a Soviet attack.
France has taken center stage in recent days for having ignited the Ukrainian conflict with the statements of its Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian. “I think that Vladimir Putin must understand that the atlantic alliance is a nuclear alliance. That’s all I’ll say about this,” she said, as she picks up Fox News.
UK: 225
The United Kingdom is another of the countries that attributes its control of nuclear weapons to the defense of the territory. On the other hand, despite the fact that between 2010 and 2015 the country reduced the number of operating heads, in 2021 they announced the manufacture of new nuclear weapons.
Britain has four submarines that can carry up to 16 ballistic missiles, each armed with up to eight nuclear warheads.
Pakistan: 165
Pakistan is one of the few countries that does not owe its nuclear capacity to the Cold War, although it also derives from a military conflict, the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, when the country created a nuclear program of its own to combat the Indian threat.
In 2014, Pakistan began developing tactical nukes. In other words, the country began to manufacture smaller weapons that can be used on a battlefield against combatants, instead of threatening entire territories.
India: 160
For its part, India remains committed to not using first. However, it also has a large nuclear capacity, including a missile that can reach targets at a distance of 5,000 km.
It is noteworthy that both India and Pakistan have avoided nuclear conflict for more than two decades. However, the first gathers various US sanctions for the continued use of these weapons, although it has always been in controlled tests.
Israel: 90
Again, Israel’s nuclear capability is a secret, who neither denies nor confirms the possession of these weapons while he has the support of the US and the UK. However, the Arms Control Association estimates that the figure could be closer to 90 heads.
Notably The Associated Press reported the construction of a nuclear facility over the past year, based on photos taken from satellites.
North Korea: 20
North Korea is the newest country in the use of nuclear weapons, since its first test was carried out in 2006. In fact, the country comes testing new weapons during the last weekswhich has sparked criticism as it took place in the midst of an international conflict such as the one in Ukraine.
The US has been trying for years to curb North Korea’s weapons growth. However, the efforts of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden have been in vain, and the Asian country continues to strengthen its arsenal.
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