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Russia continues to batter large parts of Ukraine, with yesterday’s attacks showing a clear escalation in violence as a result of frustrations at the resolve of the Ukrainian people.

Earlier this week we touched on the chances of all-out nuclear war. While various experts stated it remains unlikely, the caveat of an unpredictable Vladimir Putin was mentioned repeatedly.

If Vlad did go rogue, and considering the size of the nuclear weapons stash at his disposal compared to the rest of the world, things could get messy.

The BBC reports that Russia has 5 977 nuclear warheads (the devices that trigger a nuclear explosion):

…this includes about 1,500 that are retired and set to to be dismantled.

Of the remaining 4,500 or so, most are considered strategic nuclear weapons – ballistic missiles, or rockets, which can be targeted over long distances. These are the weapons usually associated with nuclear war.

The rest are smaller, less destructive nuclear weapons for short-range use on battlefields or at sea.

Out of those 4 500, an estimated 1 500 are currently deployed at sites where they can be used.

Comparing Russia’s stash to the rest of the world illustrates why world leaders are on edge:

The scope of the damage a single nuclear weapon can cause should not be underestimated.

For example, the infamous Hiroshima bomb dropped during World War II killed around 146 000 people and weighed 15 kilotons.

Nuclear warheads today can weigh in excess of 1 000 kilotons.

It’s believed that intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in Russia’s possession do have the capability to reach cities such as London or Washington.

An ICBM fired from Russia could reach the UK in just 20 minutes.

Defence systems against such attacks are in place, reports The Wall Street Journal, but they’re not infallible:

The U.S. has invested heavily into the ability to shoot down ballistic missiles that could carry nuclear warheads although it has no effective defense against Russia’s nuclear forces and has no plans to develop such a capacity.

The limited anti-missiles system the U.S. has are aimed at a North Korean threat. The U.S. systems have had a mixed success rate in testing.

Another worrying bit of information concerns Ukraine’s nuclear sites – in total, there are 15 reactors spread across four sites.

Fighting in and around those sites could spark a radioactive emergency, similar to Chernobyl.

On Monday night, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, said that Russia had started using infamous vacuum bombs during the invasion.

Below via Politico:

A vacuum bomb, also called a thermobaric weapon, works by taking in oxygen to create powerful, high-temperature explosions. If used in a civilian setting, such an attack could constitute a war crime…

The blast wave can last for significantly longer than a conventional explosive and is capable of vaporising human bodies.

Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense and CIA officer, said the bombs “suck the oxygen out of the air and out of the lungs of people nearby. It is horrendous.”

A senior US defense official confirmed the use of vacuum bombs yesterday.

You can follow live updates from Ukraine via CNN and the BBC.

[sources:bbc&wsj&politico]