The number of operational nuclear warheads worldwide increased in 2022, driven primarily by Russia and China, according to a new report released today.
As of early 2023, nine nuclear powers had 9,576 warheads ready for use. Their yield is equivalent to at least 135,000 bombs dropped on Hiroshima, according to a report on the prohibition of nuclear weapons published by the Norwegian NGO Norsk Folkehjelp.
Eight nuclear powers: USA, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel is unofficially considered a nuclear power.
The addition of 136 warheads to the world’s nuclear arsenal last year was due to Russia, which has the world’s largest arsenal (5,889 active warheads), as well as China, India, North Korea and Pakistan.
This increase is alarming and continues a trend that began in 2017,” commented Greta Loglo Ostern, responsible for the report.
The total stock of nuclear weapons, including decommissioned ones, continues to decline. Their number was reduced from 12,705 to 12,512 in a year due to the destruction of old warheads in Russia and the United States. Loglow Ostern warned that if the addition of new warheads is not stopped, the total number of nuclear weapons in the world will soon begin to rise again for the first time since the Cold War.
Source: RES-IPE
Source: Kathimerini
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