Nuclear powers and nuclear powerless people. Are nuclear weapons returning to Belarus? Nuclear weapons of Belarus

Modern Belarus existed in the symbolic club of nuclear powers for almost five years: from the collapse Soviet Union in December 1991 until November 27, 1996, when the last echelon with missiles filled with nuclear charges left the territory of the republic.

Since then, a number of politicians have repeatedly spoken about the supposedly wasted power, because the nuclear club is a convincing argument for countering the machinations of external potential enemies encroaching on the sovereignty of the state. Then suddenly the ambassador Alexander Surikov on the possible deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus “with a certain level of mutual trust and integration.” That Alexander Lukashenko "cruel mistake" withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Belarus, accusing “our nationalists and Shushkevich” for screwing up "the greatest asset and dearest commodity".

Occasionally, some anonymous sources from the Belarusian and Russian military departments declare their readiness to return nuclear missiles to the blue-eyed, provided that there is “Management’s decision has been made”. It is noteworthy that Allied military experts note: “Belarusians have the entire military infrastructure of the Warsaw Pact era in perfect condition, right down to launchers missiles with nuclear warheads that were taken to Russia after the collapse of the USSR".

As for the launch pads, their condition is website already analyzed - in publication. It is clear that it is, to put it mildly, unsafe to approach such objects - whether they are still operating or mothballed. However, some idea about current state For example, bases capable of storing nuclear weapons can also be obtained from open sources. It should be especially emphasized that in a hypothetical return to Belarus "greatest asset" It is precisely such bases that are of paramount strategic importance. It all starts with them.

Our part of nuclear history

Information about total number nuclear charges in the USSR were never published in the open press. According to various estimates, in the Soviet Union there were from 20 to 45 thousand units. Some researchers indicate that as of 1989, there were about 1,180 strategic and tactical nuclear warheads on the territory of the BSSR. Bases for their storage began to be built in the early 1950s. And they built, it must be said, to last: they did not spare high-quality cement, the storage facilities were buried in the ground to depths of up to 10 meters.

Among the very first and largest military depots - nuclear bases designed for storage and preparation for use atomic bombs, a base was built at the long-range aviation airfield, located in Machulishchi, which is two dozen kilometers from Minsk. In the language of the military, it was called military unit No. 75367 and had the code name “repair and technical base.”

Another base missile weapons strategic purpose(Strategic Missile Forces) was located near Gomel. Almost nothing is known about it, only the number - military unit 42654 - and the code name "Belar Arsenal".

The most famous object of this series was and remains the artillery arsenal, which began to be built in 1952 near the Kolosovo station in the Stolbtsy district of the Minsk region. Before the collapse of the USSR, the storage facility served military unit 25819, and it itself was called the “25th Arsenal of the Strategic Missile Forces.” Officially, the unit was disbanded and transferred to Russia in 1996. However, the unit was later reanimated, and is now listed in the Armed Forces of Belarus as the 25th arsenal of missile and artillery weapons. It was here that the dismantling of nuclear warheads took place in the 90s under the close supervision of NATO inspectors.

The "Kamysh" made noise and the commander disappeared

After the last nuclear warhead was removed from the arsenal to Russia, confusion and vacillation began in the unit. It was easy to get to the once secret facility, bypassing the checkpoint, simply by stepping over a fallen fence. It’s worth noting that the arsenal was essentially three objects: on one territory in forest area there was a military camp and the actual administrative part of the unit with technical structures. The ammunition storage base called “Kamysh” was located several kilometers from the headquarters - also in the forest. In 1996, there was practically no security there anymore.

Pillars with shields with the inscription “No entry. We shoot without warning” were turned out. The checkpoint premises were plundered, and the remains of the alarm system were lying on the ground. The only thing that remained untouched was the area itself, where warehouses with conventional ammunition were located underground. True, there were no people who wanted to get there. The seven-kilometer perimeter territory was fenced with two rows of barbed wire, which was under high voltage. Next to the locked gate stood a five-meter metal tower with loopholes. The spectacle is terrible...

The command of the arsenal and the officers who remained in the ranks and were unnecessary to anyone were more concerned with the problem of their own survival than with service. The local authorities threatened to cut off power and deprive the military of heat for failure to pay accumulated debts. The situation was terrible, and each of the servicemen was spinning as best they could.

The arsenal commander, a colonel, solved the problem of his own survival simply. One day he simply disappeared. As it turned out, he deserted, but not empty-handed. A suitcase with very expensive “trophies” disappeared along with him: the colonel stole 600 magnets with a high platinum content for a total of about 100 thousand dollars. During the dismantling of the missiles, the unit collected non-ferrous and precious metals.

How and at what cost the 25th arsenal was restored and, as they say, put into operation, we will not guess.

According to information website, about ten years ago this military facility was equipped with the latest comprehensive security system, which consists of several subsystems. The technical territory of the arsenal is a wire fence with a voltage between the lines of 3 thousand volts. Even if you cross this line, inside you can run into electroshock traps with a voltage of 6 thousand volts with three levels of operation: signal, warning and striking. A special video surveillance system also helps to protect the territory at any time of the day. Plus to everything - the human factor in uniform and with a machine gun.

By all indications, the 25th Arsenal is capable of protecting and servicing not only weapons of the conventional, let’s say, explosive type. As the military says: “We carry out orders, not discuss them!”

They recently received another such order. After their commander-in-chief on February 13, the Agreement between Belarus and Russia on the joint protection of the external border of the Union State in the airspace and the creation of a United regional system air defense. What is not a reason to gossip about the once lost nuclear power and possible options finding it?

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) establishes that nuclear powers are those states that have carried out nuclear explosion before January 1, 1967. Thus, de jure the “nuclear club” includes Russia, the USA, Great Britain, France and China.

India and Pakistan are de facto nuclear states, but de jure they are not.

First nuclear test charger was conducted by India on May 18, 1974. On May 11 and 13, 1998, according to a statement from the Indian side, five nuclear charges were tested, one of which was thermonuclear. India is a consistent critic of the NPT and still remains outside its framework.

A special group, according to experts, consists of states that do not have nuclear status and are capable of creating nuclear weapon, but refraining, due to political and military inexpediency, from transitioning to the category of nuclear states - the so-called “latent” nuclear states (Argentina, Brazil, Taiwan, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Japan and others).

Three states (Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan), which had nuclear weapons on their territory remaining after the collapse of the Soviet Union, signed in 1992 the Lisbon Protocol to the Treaty between the USSR and the USA on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. By signing the Lisbon Protocol, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus acceded to the NPT and were included in the list of countries that do not possess nuclear weapons.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Belarus threatened the West possible way out from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). According to official Minsk, the United States and Great Britain, by applying economic sanctions against Belarus, violated their obligations towards the country. And therefore, in Minsk they may stop observing these conditions. At least this was stated by the Belarusian delegation in Geneva at the second session of the Preparatory Committee of the NPT Review Conference.

The Belarusian side emphasized that it is very important for it that the tripartite security guarantees provided in accordance with the 1994 Budapest Memorandum in connection with Belarus’ voluntary renunciation of the right to possess nuclear weapons work. “Three states - Great Britain, Russia and the USA - have committed themselves to respect the independence and sovereignty of Belarus, including not to use measures of economic coercion,” the Belarusian delegates emphasized. And since there are sanctions, it means Western partners encroach on the independence of Belarus.

“A reasonable question arises why, despite recorded and repeatedly confirmed obligations, some nuclear powers ignore them in practice, continuing to apply measures of economic and political pressure. The economic coercive measures taken by the UK and the USA in relation to Belarus in the form of sanctions must be cancelled. Budapest Memorandum in November 2012 registered with the UN as international treaty. Violation of accepted legal obligations is an unacceptable norm of behavior of states from the point of view international law", the Belarusian side emphasized.

The irritation of official Minsk is understandable. The USA and the EU apply to Belarus a whole range of political and economic sanctions. The EU blacklist currently includes 243 individuals and 32 companies providing support to the “Lukashenko regime”. The number of those on the US “blacklist” is unknown, but perhaps it is even greater. It's about about budget-generating companies - such as "Belspetsexport", "Belneftekhim", "Belaruskali". They sell their products mainly in foreign countries. This means that sanctions are a direct blow to the country’s budget.

Along the way, Belarus reached a new – almost Soviet – level of military integration with Russia. In May, the allies will hold large-scale exercises "Zapad-2013", where they will practice a possible nuclear strike on Warsaw. The exercises will take place in close proximity to the Polish borders. In addition, Russia for the first time announced that it plans to permanently deploy its air regiment with fighter jets in Belarus by 2015. As Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, the start of work on this project is planned for this year: Moscow will locate an aviation commandant’s office with its neighbors and supply the first duty unit of combat fighters. “We intend to continue to consider issues necessary to strengthen the defense capability of our Belarusian colleagues and brothers,” Shoigu emphasized.

Director of the Minsk Center for European Integration Yuri Shevtsov believes that for the Belarusian foreign policy a significant event happened. “To relocate an entire air regiment to Belarus in less than two years is very fast. And this reflects high degree military anxiety regarding NATO or individual NATO countries. Polish games of greatness have always ended badly for Poland,” the expert explains. And he adds: “It is unlikely that opposition to Polish activity regarding Belarus will be limited to one Russian air regiment. At a minimum, the saturation of the Belarusian army with new weapons and equipment will now proceed faster. And if it comes to the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus in the event of the collapse of the Budapest Memorandum system, then the militarization of the region will increase by orders of magnitude.”

Of course, such activity on the part of official Minsk will inevitably affect the eastern borders of the EU. Poland and Lithuania will begin to rapidly increase military spending. And while for Poland they are unlikely to become too much of an economic burden, for Lithuania geopolitical changes will definitely mean additional problems in getting the country out of the economic crisis. Shevtsov also believes that Russia will increase pressure on Lithuania - both economic and informational. “The EU will not compensate Lithuania for these losses. There will still be no war between Russia and NATO, but the losses from the current Polish activity in the east could be quite serious for Lithuania,” the political scientist sums up.

Experts believe it is quite likely that the Belarusians’ threats will not be an empty shake of the air, and that the country will respond to the sanctions by withdrawing from the Budapest Memorandum. “The United States has actually already withdrawn from it. Recently there was a statement, it seems, from the US Embassy in Belarus that the United States does not consider this Memorandum as a document binding on them,” comments Shevtsov.

All this means that Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan may soon receive legal grounds to return to their nuclear status. And in the end, someone, but Belarus, will definitely be able to count on the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons on its territory. Moreover, the Belarusian government already possesses approximately 2.5 tons of nuclear materials, some of which are highly enriched, sufficient, for example, to quickly manufacture a “dirty” atomic “bomb.”

In addition, “a number of threshold countries will receive an additional impetus to create nuclear weapons, because they will see the unreliability of security guarantees from the United States. Most likely, Iran will officially try to become the first of these countries,” Shevtsov describes the more distant consequences of these changes.

All this, undoubtedly, plays into Lukashenko’s hands. Author of the program nuclear disarmament Belarus Stanislav Shushkevich says that “Lukashenko will soon begin to more actively blackmail the United States with a return to a nuclear status.” He will do this in order to achieve the lifting of economic sanctions from Belarus. And Old Man can return to him every time he doesn’t like something in the behavior of NATO member countries. Whether Lukashenko will get nuclear weapons, which he has long dreamed of, will depend only on Russia in the next few years.

The United States will obviously have to react to this somehow. An attempt to pacify the intractable Lukashenko could result in new conflicts for NATO member countries. What is especially unsafe against the backdrop of growing military power China and angry rhetoric towards the West from Russia.

In recent months, North Korea and the United States have been actively exchanging threats to destroy each other. Since both countries have nuclear arsenals, the world is closely monitoring the situation. On the Day of Fight for complete liquidation nuclear weapons, we decided to remind who has them and in what quantities. Today, it is officially known that eight countries that form the so-called Nuclear Club have such weapons.

Who exactly has nuclear weapons?

The first and only state to use nuclear weapons against another country is USA. In August 1945, during World War II, the United States dropped nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The attack killed more than 200 thousand people.

Year of first test: 1945

Nuclear charge carriers: submarines, ballistic missiles and bombers

Number of warheads: 6800, including 1800 deployed (ready for use)

Russia has the largest nuclear stockpile. After the collapse of the Union, the only heir nuclear arsenal became Russia.

Year of first test: 1949

Nuclear charge carriers: submarines, missile systems, heavy bombers, in the future - nuclear trains

Number of warheads: 7,000, including 1,950 deployed (ready for use)

Great Britain is the only country that has not conducted a single test on its territory. The country has 4 submarines with nuclear warheads; other types of troops were disbanded by 1998.

Year of first test: 1952

Nuclear charge carriers: submarines

Number of warheads: 215, including 120 deployed (ready for use)

France conducted ground tests of a nuclear charge in Algeria, where it built a test site for this.

Year of first test: 1960

Nuclear charge carriers: submarines and fighter-bombers

Number of warheads: 300, including 280 deployed (ready for use)

China tests weapons only on its territory. China has pledged not to be the first to use nuclear weapons. China in the transfer of technology for the production of nuclear weapons to Pakistan.

Year of first test: 1964

Nuclear charge carriers: ballistic launch vehicles, submarines and strategic bombers

Number of warheads: 270 (in reserve)

India announced the possession of nuclear weapons in 1998. In the Indian Air Force, nuclear weapons carriers can be French and Russian tactical fighters.

Year of first test: 1974

Nuclear charge carriers: short, medium and extended range missiles

Number of warheads: 120−130 (in reserve)

Pakistan tested its weapons in response to Indian actions. The reaction to the emergence of nuclear weapons in the country was global sanctions. Recently ex-president Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf that Pakistan considered launching a nuclear strike on India in 2002. Bombs can be delivered by fighter-bombers.

Year of first test: 1998

Number of warheads: 130−140 (in reserve)

DPRK announced the development of nuclear weapons in 2005, and conducted its first test in 2006. In 2012, the country declared itself a nuclear power and made corresponding amendments to the Constitution. IN Lately The DPRK conducts a lot of tests - the country has intercontinental ballistic missiles and threatens the United States with a nuclear strike on the American island of Guam, which is located 4 thousand km from the DPRK.

Year of first test: 2006

Nuclear charge carriers: nuclear bombs and missiles

Number of warheads: 10−20 (in reserve)

These 8 countries openly declare the presence of weapons, as well as the tests being carried out. The so-called “old” nuclear powers (USA, Russia, UK, France and China) signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, while the “young” nuclear powers - India and Pakistan refused to sign the document. North Korea first ratified the agreement and then withdrew its signature.

Who can develop nuclear weapons now?

The main "suspect" is Israel. Experts believe that Israel has owned nuclear weapons of its own production since the late 1960s and early 1970s. There were also opinions that the country conducted joint tests with South Africa. According to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, Israel has about 80 nuclear warheads as of 2017. The country can use fighter-bombers and submarines to deliver nuclear weapons.

Suspicions that Iraq develops weapons mass destruction, was one of the reasons for the invasion of the country by American and British troops (recall the famous speech of US Secretary of State Colin Powell at the UN in 2003, in which he stated that Iraq was working on programs to create biological and chemical weapons and possesses two of the three necessary components for the production of nuclear weapons. — Approx. TUT.BY). Later, the US and UK admitted that there were reasons for the invasion in 2003.

Was under international sanctions for 10 years Iran due to the resumption of the uranium enrichment program in the country under President Ahmadinejad. In 2015, Iran and six international mediators concluded the so-called “nuclear deal” - they were withdrawn, and Iran pledged to limit its nuclear activities only to “peaceful atoms”, placing it under international control. With Donald Trump coming to power in the United States, Iran was reintroduced. Tehran, meanwhile, began.

Myanmar V last years also suspected of attempting to create nuclear weapons; it was reported that technology was exported to the country by North Korea. According to experts, Myanmar does not have enough technical and financial opportunities for weapons development.

IN different years many states were suspected of seeking or capable of creating nuclear weapons - Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Libya, Mexico, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Sweden. But the transition from a peaceful atom to a non-peaceful one either was not proven, or the countries curtailed their programs.

Which countries allowed to store nuclear bombs and which refused?

Some European countries store US warheads. According to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) in 2016, 150-200 US nuclear bombs are stored in underground storage facilities in Europe and Turkey. Countries have aircraft capable of delivering charges to intended targets.

Bombs are stored at air bases in Germany(Büchel, more than 20 pieces), Italy(Aviano and Gedi, 70−110 pieces), Belgium(Kleine Brogel, 10−20 pieces), the Netherlands(Volkel, 10−20 pieces) and Turkey(Incirlik, 50−90 pieces).

In 2015, it was reported that the Americans would deploy the latest B61-12 atomic bombs at a base in Germany, and American instructors were training Polish and Baltic Air Force pilots to operate these nuclear weapons.

The United States recently announced that it was negotiating the deployment of its nuclear weapons, where they were stored until 1991.

Four countries voluntarily renounced nuclear weapons on their territory, including Belarus.

After the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine and Kazakhstan were in third and fourth place in the world in terms of the number of nuclear arsenals in the world. The countries agreed to the withdrawal of weapons to Russia under international security guarantees. Kazakhstan transferred strategic bombers to Russia, and sold uranium to the United States. In 2008, the country's President Nursultan Nazarbayev was nominated for Nobel Prize world for its contribution to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Ukraine in recent years there has been talk of restoring nuclear status countries. In 2016, the Verkhovna Rada proposed repealing the law “On Ukraine’s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.” Previously Secretary of the Council national security Ukraine's Alexander Turchynov stated that Kyiv is ready to use available resources to create effective weapons.

IN Belarus ended in November 1996. Subsequently, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko more than once called this decision the most serious mistake. In his opinion, “if there were nuclear weapons left in the country, they would be talking to us differently now.”

South Africa is the only country that independently produced nuclear weapons, and after the fall of the apartheid regime voluntarily abandoned them.

Who curtailed their nuclear programs

A number of countries voluntarily, and some under pressure, either curtailed or abandoned their nuclear program at the planning stage. For example, Australia in the 1960s after providing its territory for nuclear tests Great Britain decided to build reactors and build a uranium enrichment plant. However, after internal political debates, the program was curtailed.

Brazil after unsuccessful cooperation with Germany in the field of nuclear weapons development in the 1970–90s, it conducted a “parallel” nuclear program outside the control of the IAEA. Work was carried out on the extraction of uranium, as well as on its enrichment, albeit at the laboratory level. In the 1990s and 2000s, Brazil recognized the existence of such a program, and it was later closed. The country now has nuclear technology, which, if a political decision is made, will allow it to quickly begin developing weapons.

Argentina began its development in the wake of rivalry with Brazil. The program received its greatest boost in the 1970s when the military came to power, but by the 1990s the administration had changed to a civilian one. When the program was terminated, experts estimated that about a year of work remained to achieve the technological potential of creating nuclear weapons. As a result, in 1991, Argentina and Brazil signed an agreement on the use atomic energy exclusively for peaceful purposes.

Libya under Muammar Gaddafi, after unsuccessful attempts to purchase ready-made weapons from China and Pakistan, she decided on her own nuclear program. In the 1990s, Libya was able to purchase 20 centrifuges for uranium enrichment, but a lack of technology and qualified personnel prevented the creation of nuclear weapons. In 2003, after negotiations with the UK and the US, Libya curtailed its weapons of mass destruction program.

Egypt abandoned the nuclear program after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Taiwan carried out his developments for 25 years. In 1976, under pressure from the IAEA and the United States, it officially abandoned the program and dismantled the plutonium separation facility. However, he later resumed nuclear research in secret. In 1987, one of the leaders of the Zhongshan Institute of Science and Technology fled to the United States and spoke about the program. As a result, work was stopped.

In 1957 Switzerland created a Commission to study the possibility of possessing nuclear weapons, which came to the conclusion that weapons were necessary. Options were considered for purchasing weapons from the USA, Great Britain or the USSR, as well as developing them with France and Sweden. ABOUT However, by the end of the 1960s the situation in Europe had calmed down, and Switzerland signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Then for some time the country supplied nuclear technology abroad.

Sweden has been actively developing since 1946. Her distinctive feature was the creation of nuclear infrastructure, the country's leadership was focused on the implementation of the concept of a closed nuclear fuel cycle. As a result, by the end of the 1960s, Sweden was ready for mass production of nuclear warheads. In the 1970s, the nuclear program was closed because... the authorities decided that the country would not be able to cope with simultaneous development modern species conventional weapons and the creation of a nuclear arsenal.

South Korea began its development in the late 1950s. In 1973, the Weapons Research Committee developed a 6-10 year plan to develop nuclear weapons. Negotiations were conducted with France on the construction of a plant for the radiochemical reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel and the separation of plutonium. However, France refused to cooperate. In 1975, South Korea ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The United States promised to provide the country with a “nuclear umbrella.” After American President Carter announced his intention to withdraw troops from Korea, the country secretly resumed its nuclear program. The work continued until 2004, when it became public knowledge. South Korea has curtailed its program, but today the country is capable of developing nuclear weapons in a short time.

The list of nuclear powers in the world for 2019 includes ten main states. Information which countries have nuclear potential and in what units it is quantified, based on data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and Business Insider.

Nine countries that are officially owners of weapons of mass destruction form the so-called “Nuclear Club”.

No data.
First test: No data.
Last test: No data.

Today it is officially known which countries have nuclear weapons. And Iran is not one of them. However, he did not stop working on nuclear program and there are persistent rumors that this country has its own nuclear weapons. The Iranian authorities say that they are quite capable of building it for themselves, but for ideological reasons they are limited only to the use of uranium for peaceful purposes.

For now, Iran's use of nuclear power is under the control of the IAEA as a result of a 2015 agreement, but the status quo may soon be subject to change - in October 2017, Donald Trump said that the current situation no longer corresponds to US interests. How much this announcement will change the current political climate remains to be seen.

Number of nuclear warheads: 10-60
First test: 2006
Last test: 2018

To the list of countries with nuclear weapons in 2019, to the greatest horror Western world, North Korea entered. Flirting with the atom in North Korea began in the middle of the last century, when Kim Il Sung, frightened by US plans to bomb Pyongyang, turned to the USSR and China for help. The development of nuclear weapons began in the 1970s, stopped as the political situation improved in the 90s, and naturally continued as it worsened. Already since 2004, nuclear tests have taken place in the “mighty, prosperous country.” Of course, as the Korean military assures, for purely harmless purposes - for the purpose of space exploration.

Adding to the tension is the fact that exact amount North Korea's nuclear warheads are unknown. According to some data, their number does not exceed 20, according to others, it reaches 60 units.

Number of nuclear warheads: 80
First test: 1979
Last test: 1979

Israel has never said that it has nuclear weapons - but it has never claimed the opposite either. What adds piquancy to the situation is that Israel refused to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Along with this, the “promised land” vigilantly monitors the peaceful and not so nuclear energy of its neighbors and, if necessary, does not hesitate to bomb nuclear centers other countries - as was the case with Iraq in 1981. According to rumors, Israel has every opportunity to create nuclear bomb dating back to 1979, when light flashes suspiciously similar to nuclear explosions were recorded in the South Atlantic. It is assumed that either Israel, or South Africa, or both of these states together are responsible for this test.

Number of nuclear warheads: 120-130
First test: 1974
Last test: 1998

Despite successfully detonating a nuclear charge back in 1974, India officially recognized itself as a nuclear power only at the end of the last century. True, having blown up three nuclear devices in May 1998, just two days after that, India announced its refusal to further tests.

Number of nuclear warheads: 130-140
First test: 1998
Last test: 1998

It is no wonder that India and Pakistan, having a common border and being in a state of permanent unfriendliness, strive to overtake and surpass their neighbor - including in the nuclear field. After the Indian bombing of 1974, it was only a matter of time before Islamabad developed its own. As the then Prime Minister of Pakistan said: “If India builds its own nuclear weapons, we will make ours, even if we have to eat grass.” And they did it, albeit twenty years late.

After India conducted tests in 1998, Pakistan promptly carried out its own, detonating several nuclear bombs at the Chagai test site.

Number of nuclear warheads: 215
First test: 1952
Last test: 1991

Great Britain is the only country of the nuclear five that has not conducted tests on its territory. The British preferred to carry out all nuclear explosions in Australia and Pacific Ocean, however, since 1991 it was decided to stop them. True, in 2015, David Cameron gave in to the fire, admitting that England was ready to drop a bomb or two if necessary. But he didn’t say who exactly.

Number of nuclear warheads: 270
First test: 1964
Last test: 1996

China is the only country that has committed not to launch (or threaten to launch) nuclear strikes on non-nuclear-weapon states. And at the beginning of 2011, China announced that it would maintain its weapons only at a minimum sufficient level. However, since then, China's defense industry has invented four types of new ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear warheads. So the question of the exact quantitative expression of this “minimum level” remains open.

Number of nuclear warheads: 300
First test: 1960
Last test: 1995

IN total France has conducted more than two hundred nuclear weapons tests, ranging from an explosion in the then French colony of Algeria to two atolls in French Polynesia.

Interestingly, France has consistently refused to take part in the peace initiatives of others nuclear countries. It did not join the moratorium on nuclear testing in the late 50s of the last century, did not sign the treaty banning military nuclear tests in the 60s, and joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty only in the early 90s.

Number of nuclear warheads: 6800
First test: 1945
Last test: 1992

The country that possesses it is also the first power to carry out a nuclear explosion, and the first and only one to date to use nuclear weapons in a combat situation. Since then, the United States has produced 66.5 thousand units atomic weapons more than 100 different modifications. The bulk of US nuclear weapons are ballistic missiles. submarines. Interestingly, the United States (like Russia) refused to participate in the negotiations on the complete renunciation of nuclear weapons that began in the spring of 2017.

US military doctrine states that America retains enough weapons to guarantee both its own security and the security of its allies. In addition, the United States promised not to strike non-nuclear states if they comply with the terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

1. Russia

Number of nuclear warheads: 7000
First test: 1949
Last test: 1990

Part nuclear weapons Russia inherited it after the collapse of the USSR - existing nuclear warheads were removed from the military bases of the former Soviet republics. According to the Russian military, they may decide to use nuclear weapons in response to similar actions. Or in case of strikes with conventional weapons, as a result of which the very existence of Russia will be threatened.

Will there be a nuclear war between North Korea and the United States?

If at the end of the last century the main source of fears of a nuclear war was the strained relations between India and Pakistan, then the main horror story of this century is the nuclear confrontation between the DPRK and the United States. Threaten North Korea nuclear strikes- a good US tradition since 1953, but with the advent of the DPRK's own atomic bombs, the situation reached new level. Relations between Pyongyang and Washington are tense to the limit. Will it nuclear war between North Korea and the USA? It is possible and will be if Trump decides that the North Koreans need to be stopped before they have time to create intercontinental missiles, which are guaranteed to reach the west coast of the world stronghold of democracy.

The United States has kept nuclear weapons near the borders of the DPRK since 1957. And a Korean diplomat says the entire continental US is now within range of North Korea's nuclear weapons.

What will happen to Russia if a war breaks out between North Korea and the United States? There is no military clause in the agreement signed between Russia and the DPRK. This means that when war starts, Russia can remain neutral - of course, strongly condemning the actions of the aggressor. In the worst case scenario for our country, Vladivostok could be covered with radioactive fallout from the destroyed DPRK facilities.