![]() ![]() ![]() If Russia launched a weapon from international waters just off the East Coast, people in cities like New York, Boston, and Washington, DC, might have just 10 to 15 minutes to prepare. Some weapons, such as submarine-launched missiles, could potentially have shorter delivery times. Were Russia to launch a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile at the US, residents would have roughly 30 minutes, or less, to find shelter, assuming they were immediately warned of the attack. Russia's nuclear arsenal is capable of striking just about anywhere on the planet. In this image made from video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Vladimir Putin gestures as he addresses the nation in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, September 21, 2022.Ī nuclear attack remains highly unlikely, but it's not out of the question, experts say. One historian called this moment more threatening than the Cuban missile crisis. Some expert observers see Putin's rhetoric as an attempt to scare away Western support for Ukraine, while others take it as a significant increase in the risk of nuclear attacks. He doubled down in a CNN interview on October 11, saying that while he didn't think it would happen, "mistakes" and "miscalculations" could "end in Armageddon." Though US officials say they have no evidence that Russia is moving any nuclear assets, on October 6 President Joe Biden raised the possibility of a nightmare scenario: an all-out nuclear war. Putin said he would use "all available means" to defend Russian territory - which he claims includes parts of eastern Ukraine - in the same breath baselessly accusing the West of "nuclear blackmail." He has said that his willingness to escalate is "not a bluff." US leadership, among others, has warned of the risk of nuclear war and pushed for de-escalation. As Russian forces take losses on the battlefield in Ukraine, fears are growing that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has made repeated threats, could resort to nuclear force. ![]()
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