According to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia has 5,977 nuclear warheads. Experts do not rule out the possibility that Moscow will use its nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine. Because after the controversial referendums in the occupied Ukrainian territories, President Vladimir Putin is expected to recognize the regions as Russian. After the accession of the territories to defend Russia, Russia could “use all the weapon systems at our disposal,” Putin said last week.
Together with the US (5,428 nuclear warheads), Russia possesses more than 90 percent of the world’s nuclear arsenal, according to the 2022 SIPRI yearbook. In addition, there are approximately 1,500 decommissioned but still largely intact nuclear warheads.
Tactical weapons can “release significant radioactivity”
The advantage of tactical weapons is that they can be quickly transported by truck and fired on the spot, as the head of the Army’s NBC Defense Center, Colonel Jürgen Schlechter, recently explained. However, the term “tactical” can be misunderstood. These weapons can cause “the heaviest destruction and release significant radioactivity,” Schlechter says. The extent of damage depends on the explosive power and the type of detonation.
In a ground explosion, radioactive earth material is transported up to a height of several kilometers into the atmosphere, which then, depending on the wind, falls to the ground as “radioactive fallout” and can cause widespread radiation there. An air blast creates a “nuclear electromagnetic pulse” (NEMP), which can lead to extensive destruction of electronic systems, similar to a blackout.
According to Schlechter, the smallest tactical nuclear weapon has an explosive power of about 0.3 kilotons (kT). The range of explosive force here extends to approx. 200 kT. 1 kiloton corresponds to an equivalent of 1000 tons of explosive trinitrotoluene – TNT. A nuclear weapon with 10 kT, similar to the Hiroshima bomb, would have destructive “primary effects”: the pressure wave and heat radiation would affect an area of about one to two square kilometers in a ground explosion.
Radioactive fallout could also affect Austria
Austria would not be directly affected by the primary effects of the use of tactical atomic bombs. But in a radioactive fallout, the radioactive particles can disperse. This is assessed by the experts at the NBC defense center in Korneuburg based on the weather conditions. It is also possible that contamination was brought in by people or vehicles from the area where the fallout spread. In addition, according to the army expert, radiation from food and other trade goods must be taken into account.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
