War in Ukraine: Russian nuclear attack? 5 questions about the threat posed by Europe

Can Vladimir Putin launch a nuclear attack on his own?

The three nuclear briefcases, dubbed “Sequet” after a mountain in the Caucasus, are to be operated simultaneously by Vladimir Putin, Chief of Staff Valery Kurosimov and Defense Minister Sergei Choiko. The latter were responsible for keeping the nuclear forces “alert.” A disciplinary code above all because these forces must be constantly vigilant. In France, only the president can press the red button.

Which countries have nuclear weapons?

190 countries, including Ukraine, have signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Today, only nine countries have nuclear weapons, and Russia and the United States have 90% of the world’s arsenal, with 6,255 and 5,550, respectively. With 290 warships, France is in fourth place, behind China (350) and ahead of England (225). Other countries are Pakistan (165), India (156), Israel (90) and North Korea (40/50). While refusing to improve the nuclear industry, Vladimir Putin’s latest statements have caused a major setback for Germany. The country has announced it will allocate more than 2% of its GDP to modernize the military.

What kind of nuclear weapons are there?

“There are many types of nuclear weapons today,” explains Didier Destremov, a former diplomat and ambassador to France. First, it is a strategic weapon that can destroy a capital or an entire city like Hiroshima or Nagasaki. The most limited, tactical weapon that can be used on the Second Battlefield. Also known as the mini-nucleus, the tactical shell can also be used to destroy very deeply buried infrastructure. “If there was a tactical weapon, France would not have tactical atomic bombs,” Didier Testremaw notes. On the other hand, it has developed a “pre-strategic” weapon with a final warning role.

What is the current power of the atomic bomb?

After World War II, the power of atomic bombs increased tenfold. The atomic bombs that grounded both Japanese cities in 1945 are small compared to modern nuclear weapons. In the early 1960s, Russia dropped the “Tsar Bombay” in Siberia, the most powerful man-made thermonuclear bomb (50 megatons against 21 kilotons for Nagasaki). Images of the recently classified “Jar Pamba” show an atomic mushroom cloud over 200,000 feet. The shock wave and atmospheric turbulence that followed the eruption of “Jar Pamba” circled the earth three times. Operating since 2020, it is the intercontinental ballistic missile “Satan 2”, capable of striking a country like France, which arouses fear in the West.

Is the atomic bomb approaching?

This is not the first time Cuba has been branded as a nuclear threat in 1962 by Cuba and the Indo-Pakistani conflict of the early 2000s. While nothing can be said for sure, the chances of a nuclear war erupting are slim. “If Putin uses nuclear energy in Ukraine, he will begin the process of imposing sanctions on himself. Before adding: “Nuclear power is only a deterrent weapon, not an action weapon. We shake it, but we don’t use it. Vladimir Putin expects a Blitzkrieg, but ran in the anti-Ukrainian and united international community. Finding himself in a corner, he plays his last card and avoids defeat. In the event of an attack, we can rely on our defensive system: radar and aircraft. “But no dome is impenetrable. Again, the only real obstacle is the ability to respond, ”concludes the former diplomat.