The specter of a nuclear war looms strongly as a result of the Russian war in Ukraine, especially after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to put a nuclear power on alert.
The five countries, which recognize the possession of nuclear weapons, issued a statement on the prevention of “nuclear war”, stressing that the nuclear weapons they possess are not directed against each other or against any other country in the world.
Although the number of countries that possess nuclear weapons in the world is 9, there are only 5 countries that recognize their possession: Russia, the United States of America, China, Britain and France, the countries that issued the statement to confirm their responsibility to prevent a nuclear war, according to the website. Sputnik”.
Nuclear weapon (iStock – figurative)
The world’s nuclear states are divided into two parts: The first is the five nuclear states: Russia, the United States of America, China, Britain and France, which are the countries that officially recognize the possession of nuclear weapons.
The second section includes the countries that actually possess nuclear weapons, but do not officially recognize their possession: Israel, North Korea, India and Pakistan.
The Stockholm Peace Research Institute report included a statistic on the nuclear weapons owned by all nuclear states as of January 2021.
Countries that recognize possessing nuclear weapons
Russia has 6,255 nuclear bombs.
The United States of America has 5,550 nuclear bombs.
China has 350 nuclear bombs.
France has 290 nuclear bombs.
The UK has 225 nuclear bombs.
Nuclear weapon
Nuclear countries that do not recognize the possession of nuclear weapons
Pakistan has 165 nuclear bombs.
India has 156 nuclear bombs.
Israel possesses 90 nuclear bombs.
North Korea has 40-50 nuclear bombs.
The total possession of the nine nuclear states, according to global estimates, until January 2021, amounts to 13 thousand and 80 nuclear bombs.
This includes 3,825 nuclear warheads to be mobilized within the nuclear forces of the nine nuclear countries, according to each country’s nuclear strategy, including two thousand nuclear bombs in firing mode.
In a video clip distributed by the Kremlin, Putin announced, last Sunday, that the Russian army’s deterrent force, which is a nuclear power, was put on alert, in response to what he considered “aggressive” Western positions that coincided with the fourth day of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
The task of the deterrent force is to respond to any attack targeting Russia. This force is equipped with missiles, strategic launchers, submarines and ships. On the defense level, it includes an anti-missile shield, air control systems, and anti-aircraft and anti-satellite defences.