The head of the army’s NBC defense center considers a nuclear attack with short- and medium-range weapons in the Ukraine war “not inconceivable”. “The likelihood of deployment by the Russians increases with the continued resistance of the Ukrainian armed forces,” Colonel Jürgen Schlechter said in an interview published on the army’s website.
Tactical nuclear weapons, also known as nuclear battlefield weapons, “should be used in the same way as conventional weapons to combat enemy forces — if conventional weapons prove too weak,” explains Schlechter. The relatively small effective beam must therefore be able to be used close to one’s own positions. Another advantage is that this weapon can be quickly transported by truck and fired by the attacking troops on the spot.
“Heavy Destruction”
“However, the term ‘tactical’ can be misunderstood in the sense that these weapons can already cause serious destruction and release significant radioactivity,” emphasized Schlechter. 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.
Huge explosive power
According to the expert, the smallest tactical nuclear weapon has an explosive power of about 0.3 kilotons (kT). The range of explosive power here extends to about 200 kilotons. One kiloton is equivalent to 1000 tons of explosive trinitrotoluene, better known as TNT. A ten kiloton nuclear weapon, comparable to the Hiroshima bomb, would have destructive ‘primary effects’: the shock wave and heat radiation would affect an area of about one to two square kilometers in a ground explosion.
“Side Effects” in Austria
Austria would not be directly affected by the primary effects of the use of tactical nuclear bombs, but radioactive particles could disperse in the event of radioactive fallout. 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 radioactive fallout has spread. In addition, according to the army expert, radiation from food and other trade goods must be taken into account.
Source: Krone
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