Have you ever thought about a nuclear conflict? If not, you must consider thinking about it! Why? Ever since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, his actions and threats have made the fear of nuclear war feel much more real. Recently, as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine intensified, he threatened to strike the US and the UK.
The next question you should ask yourself is whether you live near a potential target if there were to be a nuclear conflict? Although it may seem unlikely, it’s a question worth considering, as the global tensions are higher than ever.
Could a nuclear conflict happen between the US & Russia?
If a nuclear conflict happens between Russia and US, how devastating the consequences could be for both nations and the world.
Although it might be unlikely that either the US or Russia would use nuclear weapons because of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, if the two powerful countries go to war, it could be devastating for both, as each has the power to cause massive damage to the other.
Russia, the world’s largest nuclear power
According to the Federation of American Scientists, as of March 2024, Russia has the most nuclear weapons, with about 4,380 warheads ready to use and 1,200 waiting to be dismantled. If Putin used a smaller tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, it could trigger a chain of reaction that could lead into bigger war.
What happens if nuclear war happens between Russia and the US?
If a nuclear war happens between Russia and the US, it would certainly involve NATO allies, which would put several countries at risk of being targeted. It would become dangerous to live in or stay in those countries once the nuclear missiles were launched.
What happens if Putin starts a nuclear war in the US?
If Putin starts nuclear war in the US, people in the US could expect many of the country’s major cities to be destroyed by Russia’s first volley of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Which cities could be targeted first?
According to a map created by John Dodge, a CBS News journalist, in 2015, cities like New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington D.C. would likely be among the first to be targeted.
How is it predicted that these cities could be affected?
This prediction was made by John Dodge, who used open-source data from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and the National Resource Defense Council. The data available from these sources helped him figure out which cities in the US would most likely be targeted in the nuclear attack by Russia.
Other places at risk
Apart from the major cities mentioned above, other vulnerable places on the list are Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota, as they store a substantial portion of America’s nuclear arsenal.
Main targets
The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander, who recently evaluated John’s map and its target, he pointed out that some of the main targets on the map include active nuclear power plants. Gustaf noted that across the US, there are approximately 90 plants, with some in New Jersey, Alabama, Maryland, Arizona, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.
US- the second-largest nuclear arsenal in the world
If a nuclear war started, the US would probably be one of the worst places to be in, as, according to the Federation of American Scientists, as of May 2024, the United States, which is Russia’s main enemy, has the second-largest nuclear arsenal in the world with 3,708 active warheads and 1,336 retired ones waiting to be dismantled.
Russia also targets the UK
Not just US, UK would also be targeted by Russia, if nuclear war happens, it’s just because London has strongly supported Ukraine ever since Russia invaded in 2022.
Putin threatened to bomb UK 35 times in 2022
According to Newsweek’s Brendan Cole, by July 2022, Putin had threatened to bomb the UK at least 35 times since Russia invaded Ukraine. This makes UK, yet another most dangerous place to be in if nuclear war happens with Russia.
UK’s major cities would be wiped out
In September 2022, Adam Cailler of the Daily Star reported that most of the UK’s major cities would be at risk, based on a Cold War-era map found in the UK’s National Archives, which revealed Russian forces would likely target in case of conflict. As per Adam, the target cities included Central London, Edinburgh, Teesside, Leicester, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Hull, York, Dover, Cambridge, Maidstone, Huddersfield, Wolverhampton, Coventry, and Sheffield, and these targets (most likely) haven’t changed much since then.
Other infrastructure that would be destroyed
The Daily Star reporter further mentioned that apart from these population centers, there were 23 RAF bases, 14 USAF bases, 10 radar stations, eight military command centers and 13 Royal Navy bases. And if these were targeted, then it would cause widespread destruction across the entire British Isles.
Joe Biden warned Putin in 2022
In October 2022, President Joe Biden warned Putin about the extreme consequences to Putin of using one tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, saying it could lead to a catastrophic outcome, referring to it as “Armageddon.”
NATO allied countries too at risk
If a nuclear war happens between the US and Russia, not just both countries, NATO allied countries too would face severe consequences and destruction. Head of Roscomos, Dmitry Rogozin, had said that a nuclear war would destroy NATO countries in just half an hour!
No place is safe to live!
Alexandra Witze mentioned that even a minor conflict between two countries, where they use nuclear weapons against each other, it could cause widespread food shortages around the world! As per new research from August 2023, even if you are living in a country that isn’t directly targeted in a nuclear war, the impact of the war would affect you, possibly in unexpected way! The soot produced from burning cities would spread around the world and block sunlight causing the Earth to cool down, which would in turn cause massive crop failures and put five billion people to death.
