Western countries, including the United States, have agreed to allow Ukrainian forces to use their weapons to strike areas within Russian territory. This situation prompted Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, to suggest in a Telegram post that the current military conflict with the West is evolving according to the worst possible scenarios. Medvedev stated, "Regardless of how much retired NATO officials chatter that Russia would never use tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine, let alone individual NATO countries, life is far worse than their trivial thinking... They might also misjudge the use of tactical nuclear weapons, although this would be a grave mistake." He concluded by saying, "Unfortunately, this is not a scare tactic or a nuclear bluff. The current military conflict with the West is evolving according to the worst possible scenarios, and there is a continuous escalation in the power of NATO weapons being used. Therefore, no one today can rule out the transition of the conflict to its final phase."
**Russia's Nuclear Weapons**
Russia currently possesses the largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal on the planet, as well as the most sophisticated launch systems ever developed. The Union of Concerned Scientists states that as of 2022, Russia has approximately 5,977 nuclear warheads compared to 5,428 held by the United States. According to available information, about 1,500 of these nuclear warheads have been decommissioned, while there are 2,889 warheads in reserve, with 1,588 deployed as strategic nuclear warheads.
**The "Tsar Bomba"**
The "Tsar Bomba" is the nickname given to one of the largest bombs ever used by the United States during World War II. It was developed as part of the Manhattan Project that led to the creation of the nuclear bomb. The bomb boasts immense destructive power and was used in the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands and significant destruction of the city. After the Hiroshima attack, the United States dropped another bomb of the same type on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. These bombings contributed to the end of World War II, leading to Japan's surrender. The Tsar Bomba is considered one of the most devastating weapons in the history of warfare and has sparked significant debate over the ethical use of nuclear weapons.
**Russian Test of the "Tsar Bomba"**
According to reports, the "Tsar Bomba" was tested on October 30, 1961, at the Sukhoi Nose nuclear test site on the island of Novaya Zemlya, Russia. The blast yield exceeded 58 megatons, with an explosion height surpassing 67 kilometers. The light emitted from the explosion was visible from over 1,000 kilometers away; in the village of Dixon, 780 kilometers from ground zero, windows were shattered, and the shockwave circled the globe three times.
**Biden and World War III**
On Sunday, John Kirby, the National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator at the White House, stated that U.S. President Joe Biden does not want to be responsible for starting World War III by supporting Washington's aid to Kyiv. Kirby clarified in an interview with ABC, "The president says he does not want to be responsible for starting World War III by supporting Washington to Kyiv in the Ukrainian conflict." He noted that "the United States is not seeking a conflict with Russia or any other nuclear power." Sources previously disclosed to Politico how President Biden decided to allow Ukrainian forces to use American weapons against targets within Russian territory. It is worth mentioning that Russian President Vladimir Putin, while discussing Western proposals for Kyiv to strike in Russian territory, asserted that NATO countries need to understand what they are engaging in.
