Putin's nuclear arsenal: Are the threats real? How can the rest of the world respond

Kremlin propagandists, like their leader, continue to threaten the West with nuclear weapons: what missile systems does Russia actually have, and how does the civilized world respond to Russian threats? Russia's new threats: Putin has "warned" of retaliatory strikes against Ukraine's allies, and Kremlin propagandists are debating the implications of using ballistic missiles against the United Kingdom and the United States. Is this a bluff, or does Russia's leader truly believe in the parallel reality he has created? And what else can one expect from a sick "neighbor"?

In fact, you should brace yourself for the unexpected. It is worth noting the American intelligence's assumptions, as expressed by the director of the CIA, that the Russian Federation's use of tactical nuclear weapons should be taken seriously. Despite the fact that leaders in both the United States and the United Kingdom continue to reject such scenarios. 

In an interview with Fox News on Monday, May 2, the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez, said that the continuation of Ukraine's military success could increase the probability of Vladimir Putin using nuclear weapons.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky does not rule out the possibility of the Kremlin using weapons of mass destruction amid the war against Ukraine, as the Russians have already demonstrated an irresponsible approach to the nuclear threat at Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

"So you can't expect these people, the leadership of the Russian Federation - both political and military - that they won't use nuclear weapons. Or they will.

It may be the same as we had with nuclear generation. Sometimes it seems to me that they use something without even understanding the result. Or they understand the result, but they don't care," the Ukrainian leader emphasized in an interview with the Australian TV channel Nine Network.

However, we must be prepared for the possibility of the aggressor country realizing any threats.

What kind of weapon does Putin use to scare the world? These are primarily hypersonic missiles Avangard and Sarmat.

The Avangard is a hypersonic glide vehicle, which is launched using a modification of Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles. Russia is convinced that there are no analogues of the Avangard in the world, and its speed seems to exceed the speed of sound by 20 times, which makes these missiles invisible to air defense.

According to experts, conventional warheads on Russian strategic missiles are the most effective in real conditions. We are talking, in particular, about the Voyevoda missiles, or as they are called outside of Russia, Satan, created at the Ukrainian Yuzhmash. The service life of this weapon has already been extended several times. Sarmat should become a replacement for Satan.

It is worth noting that the Sarmat missiles have not yet been tested. 

Therefore, I would not speak as a proven fact about the existence of a power that will shake the whole world.

Another project promoted in Russia is the Kinzhal hypersonic missile, which MiG-31 fighters are equipped with. The Russian Defense Ministry has already announced the use of these weapons in Ukraine. However, Western intelligence does not confirm these words.

The Zircon cruise hypersonic missile for submarines and surface ships has also completed its testing phase. 

However, experts believe that projects such as the Poseidon nuclear submarine-drone and the Burevestnik nuclear-powered missiles are still far from being completed. 

I'd like to point out that the Sarmat tactical missiles were tested just before Putin's statements. The United States, on the other hand, reacted calmly to this event. Washington has stated that it does not consider the missile launch to be a threat to the United States. 

Our strategic partners appear to have complete information. And they have the necessary tools to counter such Russian threats. If we recall the recent summit in Ramstein with the participation of 42 defense ministers, it is a clear response to the Russian Federation's statements. Do not scare the world with your exaggerated power.

Actually, the Army of Ukraine has clearly demonstrated to the entire world what the military power of the "second army of the world" truly is. Ukrainians have something to be proud of.

In the beginning, Western countries gave Kyiv a maximum of three days of resistance in their forecasts. Foreign experts expected that the efforts of the Armed Forces to repel Russia's armed aggression would be enough for at most a week.

This was stated by US Secretary of Defense Austin last week at the Ramstein summit. He claimed that once the West was convinced of Ukraine's Armed Forces' ability to repel Russian aggressors, the world changed its mind. Most importantly, it shifted its priorities. Priorities at sea, in the air, and on the ground 

According to reports, the entire civilized world is now beginning to supply Ukraine with cutting-edge weapons, and this is already obvious. Indeed, this raises the major issue of the security component of the Russian armed forces' logistics base on Russian Federation territory. We've been hearing air alerts for 68 days in a row. Despite this, Ukrainians are fearless. There is only hatred. This is Ukraine's response to Putin. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the occupying forces have lost roughly 24,000 troops and nearly 1,050 tanks.