Russia Has 10-Times More Tactical Nuclear Weapons Than the US — Now They Arm Belarus

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington DC) Russia’s large arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons has been a source of concern for decades, yet Putin’s potential use of these catastrophic weapons has taken on new dimensions of seriousness due to Russia’s planned deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.

Russia has ten times the tactical nuclear weapons as the United States and has visibly and repeatedly threatened to use them against Ukraine, NATO and the West throughout its now long-standing war effort in Ukraine. 

Has this purely been a manipulative tactic to lessen or minimize Western support for Ukraine and hold the world hostage with nuclear threats? Perhaps, yet one could make the argument that such an “escalate to win” Russian strategy has been working. 

At the same time, the Pentagon’s decision to send Abrams tanks, and its more recent decision to support the deployment of Eastern European F-16s has not, at least as of yet, resulted in Putin’s actual “use” of nuclear weapons in any capacity. 

Perhaps Putin is driven by a survival instinct sufficient for him to recognize any use of nuclear weapons would likely result in his demise, loss of power or death. While by no means hesitant to make threats, Putin has long been thought of as a “rational” actor interested in self-preservation and his continued authoritarian rule over Russia’s future.

Tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus is the latest curve in the West’s long standing worry about Russia’s massive arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, something cited recently in a Reuters essay detailing steps forward with Russia’s move to place nuclear weapons in Belarus. The Reuters write up says Russia is believed to operate as many as 2,000 tactical nuclear warheads, as compared to the US’ 200 nuclear warheads.

Nuclear fighter jets?

Quoting Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu, the Reuters essay said Belarussian forces are already armed with Iskander-M missiles capable of carrying both conventional or nuclear warheads. Russian Su-25 fighter aircraft have also reportedly been modified to carry nuclear weapons.