With the invitation of Kadyrov, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, speculation increased about the possibility of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war, especially in the Battle of Lyman, which was taken over by Ukrainian forces.
Russia has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, including low-yield tactical weapons ready for use against hostile armies.
Moscow has about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, which are stored in military facilities in different regions of Russia, according to the “Arms Control” organization.
* What are tactical nuclear warheads?
Tactical nuclear weapons are defined as non-strategic short-range nuclear warheads and their characteristics include:
• A limited blow to enemy forces without endangering friendly forces in the field.
• It is used to bomb formations of infantry forces, tanks, military installations and bunkers.
• It has an explosive yield ranging from 10 to 100 kilotons of “TNT” explosive, according to the American network “CNN”.
• Use it to win a battle, not the whole war.
“It is possible that tactical nuclear strikes will target sites along the front lines where there are a large number of soldiers and equipment, as well as command centers and critical infrastructure,” said Vadim Skipetsky, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence.
* The effect of using this weapon in the field
Military expert Justin Pronk, from the British Institute of Military Studies, says that tactical nuclear warheads “will only be a deterrent weapon and not extermination,” because the explosive power of a bomb or missile ranges between 10 to 30 kilotons, but may result in:
• The death of 30 thousand people.
• 60 thousand wounded.
• A radiation circle of up to 1050 meters.
• An explosion circle of 150 meters.
• Destructive power up to 1500 meters.
• The strength of heat radiation up to 1530 meters.
• The light of the explosion is visible at a distance of up to 4 km and 260 meters.
Nuclear experts believe that Moscow’s threats to use this type of weapon are only to intimidate and thwart any attempts by NATO to interfere in the Ukraine war.
They added: “Russia uses nuclear force as a tactic of escalation for deterrence, if it feels a grave danger threatening its territory,” according to the Warzone military website.
* What are the capabilities of Russian bombers on the borders of Finland?
Recent satellite images showed an unusual presence of the Russian Tu-160 and Tu-95 strategic bombers carrying tactical nuclear warheads at the Olinya Air Base, according to the British newspaper, The Sun.
The Tu-95 has a range of about 15,000 km without the need for refueling, and it is armed with about 15,000 kilograms of nuclear bombs and missiles, including several different air-to-ground missiles, and its speed reaches 920 kilometers per hour, and it flies at an altitude of about 13 kilometers.
The Tu-160 is nicknamed by the military and aviation experts as the “White Swan.” It has a range of 12,000 kilometers, and is capable of carrying 45,000 kilograms of tactical nuclear warheads, including the KH-55 mobile missile or 12 missiles. The KH-15, a short-range nuclear missile, has a speed of up to 2,200 km, and a flight of up to 16 km.
In statements to “Sky News Arabia”, researcher in military affairs, Mina Adel, attributed the presence of these bombers on Finland’s borders to:
• Her habit of flying from this region to approach the skies of all European countries throughout the year to spar with them.
• A message from Russia to NATO countries.
• It may try to support the Russian northern front in Kharkiv, after the development of events and the storming of the strategic city of Lyman by Ukrainian forces.
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