HomeEconomyNuclear: number of operational warheads increases, boosted by Russia

Nuclear: number of operational warheads increases, boosted by Russia

The number of operational nuclear warheads around the world has risen by 2022, figures buoyed by investments from Russia and China, according to a report published on Wednesday.

As of early 2023, the nine official and unofficial nuclear powers had 9,576 ready-to-use nuclear warheads, equivalent to “more than 135,000 Hiroshima bombs,” according to the Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Monitor published by the Norwegian NGO Norsk Folkehjelp.

These figures come at a time when Moscow has repeatedly waved the nuclear threat in connection with its invasion of Ukraine. On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had the Minsk agreement to deploy “tactical” nuclear weapons in Belarus, a country located at the gates of the European Union.

The addition of 136 warheads to the world nuclear stock last year is due to Russia, which has the largest arsenal on the planet (5,889 operational warheads), as well as China, India, North Korea and Pakistan.

First increases since the Cold War

The total stock of atomic weapons, which also includes decommissioning, continues to decline. Their number increased from 12,705 to 12,512 in one year, due to the demolition of old warheads in Russia and the United States.

If the introduction of new warheads is not stopped, “the total number of nuclear weapons in the world will soon start to rise again for the first time since the Cold War,” however, warned Ms Lauglo Østern.

The eight official nuclear powers are the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, while Israel is unofficially endowed.

Author: PS with AFP
Source: BFM TV

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