A secret Russian nuclear weapon, a weapon called Skyfall, exploded this week in an apparent test-gone-wrong that left several Russian nuclear scientists dead, and a Russian village evacuated. The weapon appears to be a nuclear powered cruise missile– something Russia, the United States, and China have been working to secretly develop.
In a day and age where it seems like the US and Russia are entering into a new cold war and arms race with each trying to out-do the other, the question becomes: How many nuclear weapons already exist? And who has them?
As of right now, we actually have a pretty solid idea of how many exist, and more or less, exactly who has them:
President Trump has helped enflame the arms race, stating “We have far more money than anybody else by far… We’ll build up until [Russia and China] come to their senses.”
Of course, Russian President Vladimir Putin disagrees, with rhetoric of his own and stating that Russia is clearly winning the arms race. “Our president has repeatedly said that Russian engineering in this sector significantly outstrips … other countries,” as the Guardian reported a Kremlin spokesperson as saying.
In a world of endless rhetoric that enflames and mass shootings on a daily basis, it certainly seems like another nuclear arms race is the absolute last thing the world needs right now.