Don't Mess With Putin's Terrifying Nuclear Arsenal

In its military games, the US has outlined a new tactic for conducting nuclear war, in which Russia would seemingly be the first to strike.

Russian President Putin said Russia is the world's leading nuclear power.

Russian President Putin stressed: "No one is thinking about a full-scale conflict with Russia. I want to remind you that Russia is one of the world's leading nuclear powers." Russia is one of five countries that possess nuclear weapons. Russia currently owns the second largest nuclear warhead arsenal in the world with about 4,300 warheads.

Political scientist Bogdan Bezpalko recently gave an interview to Sputnik news agency emphasizing that Russia has never intended to launch a preemptive nuclear strike.

The Pentagon is drafting a scenario for a hypothetical war between two nuclear powers with maneuvers within the framework of the Global Thunder exercise of strategic nuclear forces, the Defense One portal reported.

"It's a very complicated situation to deal with, but it's absolutely not a situation we want to be in," said US Deputy Commander for Global Strategic Operations, General Greg Bowen.

According to Mr. Joseph Cirincione, Director of the Ploughshares Fund, even in conventional conflicts, nuclear weapons can still be used for de-escalation purposes.

In an interview with Sputnik, political analyst Bogdan Bezpalko, a member of the Russian President's Council on International Relations, said that Russia has never used or planned to use nuclear weapons first.

"Russia has never even claimed that it can launch a preemptive nuclear strike. And American representatives have loudly announced this. Moreover, recently the US has proposed to consolidate this idea by legalizing it. For Russia, nuclear weapons are a deterrent weapon. Russia does not plan to be the first to use these weapons, but only assumes that they are purely a way to punish those who dare to attack the country," the political scientist commented.

Russia currently possesses the second largest nuclear warhead arsenal in the world with about 4,300 warheads.

According to experts, Russia's nuclear shield - including Yars, Topol-M and Iskander missiles - are weapons that will ensure Moscow's safety for decades to come. These missiles are capable of crossing oceans and continents. Referring to the above-mentioned shield systems, expert Victor Shurigin said: "On the one hand, we need to meet, ensure the ability to carry large-tonnage missiles.

On the other hand, we must ensure the (system's) ability to move on the road. Third, we must ensure that the missile can be launched on soft ground." Meanwhile, Western military experts say that to destroy a Russian mobile missile system, it is necessary to launch several dozen missiles. To intercept an intercontinental missile, no less than 50 warheads are needed.

In October 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin also declared that the US expansion of its ballistic missile defense system was a threat to Russia's nuclear capabilities. Speaking at a conference in Sochi, Putin added that bases in the US ballistic missile shield in Eastern Europe could also be used to deploy offensive weapons.

In addition, the leader also expressed concern about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military infrastructure moving closer to Russia's borders. Previously, Russia has repeatedly opposed the US's establishment of a missile shield in Europe. However, Washington asserted that this system is only intended to protect the US and Europe from the risk of missile attacks from countries like Iran, not to contain Moscow.

Meanwhile, Polish Nobel Peace Prize winner Lech Walesa said that EU military aid to Ukraine could lead to a nuclear conflict between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

“That could lead to a nuclear war,” Walesa told reporters when asked whether the EU should send weapons to Ukraine. “The EU knows that Russia has nuclear weapons and so does NATO.” The former Solidarity leader added: “That’s why the bloc won’t get too involved.”

According to Dan Viet