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Vladimir Putin yesterday said Russia is ready to use its nuclear weapons if there is any perceived danger to the country’s statehood, sovereignty or independence.
‘From a military-technical point of view, we are, of course, ready,’ the Russian president said in a chilling interview with state-owned TV channel RIA Novosti.
‘They [nuclear missiles] are constantly in a state of combat readiness.’
While his comments are hopefully sabre-rattling, with many analysts arguing he would never hit the button, the fact is that Russia has an arsenal of almost 6,000 nuclear warheads – the largest stockpile in the world.
One such weapon, the Topol (SS25), has a range of around 7,000 miles – leaving the UK and US very much in the firing line.
To better understand the outcome of a nuclear attack anywhere in the world, professor and nuclear technology historian Alex Wellerstein created the online tool Nukemap.
The tool highlights in stark terms the devastating outcome of different nuclear bombs from various countries’ arsenals in any area in the world.
London
If landing on the Strand, near Trafalgar Square, the blast range of the 800kt bomb would instantly vapourise anyone from Westminister to Soho, and take down landmarks such as the London Eye, Chinatown, and the National Theatre.
From Brixton to Camden, there would be further blast damage, with most residential buildings collapsing. Injuries would be universal and fatalities would be widespread.
Thermal radiation would go further, with third-degree burns so severe they would destroy pain nerves and could even require amputation.
Those on the outer ring, which affects Edgware to Croydon, would also suffer mass injuries and broken windows.
Overall, it would be estimated there would be around 1 million fatalities, and around 2.3 million people injured.
Birmingham
Heading further north, to Birmingham, there would be around half a million fatalities and almost a million injuries.
The whole city would be affected and the damage would even touch Redditch and Wolverhampton.
People in the inner circle, with the Birmingham town hall at its centre, would be instantly vapourised – including those shopping in the city’s famous Bull Ring.
Moderate blast damage would see fire, building damage and large numbers of fatalities as thermal radiation would stretch from north Birmingham in Sutton Coldfield to Solihull in the south.
Manchester
Manchester would see almost as many people affected, with 369,280 estimated fatalities and around 830,000 injuries.
Manchester’s city centre, including its Chinatown, Medieval Quarter and its Science and Industry Museum, which holds Stephen Hawkings’ chair, would be instantly vapourised.
Moderate damage would affect Stretford, Eccles and even stretch to Filsworth. Thermal damage would see people from Cheadle to Oldham suffer massive third-degree burns.
Even people in Wilmslow, 15 miles from the city centre, would feel lasting effects from the blast.
New York
New York’s blast radius would see 1.6 million fatalities and 3 million injuries in the city.
If landing in Soho, a fireball would engulf the surrounding neighbourhoods including Little Italy, Chinatown, Noho and the East Village.
Manhattan, and parts of Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey would also be engulfed by the blast, with damaged radiating out four miles in every direction that would result in most city buildings collapsing and fires breaking out, with widespread fatalities.
Those further afield, including in Harlem and Bayonne, would suffer third-degree burns, while light blast damage would extend to Staten Island and the Bronx.
Washington DC
If a nuclear bomb hit the White House, the fatalities would reach around half a million fatalities, with just under a million people injured.
The fireball radius would reach almost two miles, with people and historic buildings vapourised.
Further afield, 7km, Capitol Hill and Columbia Heights would sustain significant blast damage, possibly collapsing.
Those from Alexandria to Silver Spring would suffer third-degree burns from thermal radiation, with light blast damage affecting an area more than 1,000km squared.
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