A new map has shown the range of Russia’s most powerful nuclear weapons as tensions between Moscow and the West intensify.
Speaking on Sky News, military expert Michael Clarke showed a map illustrating how much of the world could feasibly be targeted by Russian nukes should the weapons be fired from Moscow.
The map shows Russia being able to strike targets as far as the US and Canada to the west, beyond the Far East, and as far as northern Africa to the south.
Explaining Russia’s capabilities, Mr Clarke said: “So the Russians have got a lot of weapons themselves, they have got about 5,500 nuclear warheads, the Americans have fewer than that. But to be honest, once you are up into the thousands, it doesn’t really matter what the total number really is.”
He added: “And if we look at where they are in the Russian homeland, you can see that there is a whole series of missile bases, and those missile bases are able to launch their missiles which could actually go over the Arctic.
“When you look at a map between Russia and America you’d think that every missile would somehow go over Britain.
“They wouldn’t of course because the shortest route is straight over the Arctic.
“US missiles – exactly the same, Northern America bases are in places like North Dakota, they would go over Canada and into Russia – it takes about 20 minutes.”
The expert noted that nowhere is safe from Russian nukes as they can be fired also from submarines moving around the world, as well as from other bases besides Moscow.
He said: “The range of these missiles, if you regard Moscow as a starting point, is about 6000 miles. But of course, they don’t need to start from Moscow, they can start from somewhere else, from a submarine in the Norwegian Sea or somewhere even in the Atlantic.
“So in theory there is no end to the range that either side could attack the other more or less anywhere in the world, but it hasn’t changed for 50 years.”
Mr Clarke’s comments come as Russian President Vladimir Putin changes Russia’s nuclear doctrine.
The move comes in response to the US allowing Ukraine to use American weapons to strike inside Russia. Russian officials have responded with anger.
Deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said: “Russia reserves the right to retaliate with weapons of mass destruction against Kiev and key NATO facilities, wherever they may be located. This would amount to World War Three.”
Marina Akhmedova, editor-in-chief of Russia’s Regnum news agency, added: “This is a vivid example of how a country can become a bargaining chip in a big game. If NATO ballistic missiles fly from Ukraine to Russia, Ukraine will be the first to be wiped out in a nuclear meltdown.
“No one in Europe or America will cry for it… Only there will be no more Ukraine, and the most monstrous thing is that it is its own voluntary choice.”
