Russia has a large number of atomic bombs, but some of them, most likely, have expired. At the same time, the United States and China may negotiate the future of Russian nuclear weapons.

So, China, although it has nuclear weapons, but not much. This was told to Channel 24 by a military analyst, a major in the reserve of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war Alexei Getman.

What happened to Russia's atomic bombs

Russia has a large nuclear arsenal. However, each such charge has a shelf life of about 20 years. Then it needs to be renewed, because the decay reaction of the radioactive element takes place, and it simply remains inside the warhead.

The aggressor country has not tested its warheads since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Therefore, it is unlikely that all of them are combat-ready. According to various estimates, only half of them are suitable for use.

Hetman explained that if a warhead has expired, it means that a chain reaction cannot occur there – this is a “dirty” bomb. That is, “dirty” is called an expired atomic bomb.

Countries with the Largest Stockpile of Nuclear Weapons / Channel 24 Infographic

Therefore, the fuse can work for her, she will explode, but the chain reaction will not occur. Therefore, everything reactive that is in the warhead is scattered over a small area.

Most likely, in Russia there are a large number of no longer atomic, but “dirty” bombs, – suggested the major of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

He explained that testing the suitability of a nuclear warhead is a very complex and costly process. Russia did not have the means before or did not want to do it, and now even more so.

Hetman about Russian nuclear weapons: watch the video

Russia withdrew from the nuclear agreement: what is known

• On February 21, Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of Russia's participation in the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty (SAT). On February 28, he signed the relevant law.
• Note that START-3 is the last arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, signed in Prague in the spring of 2010 for a 10-year period. The agreement provides that each side reduces its stockpile of nuclear warheads to 1,550 units, as well as to 700 units for deployed launchers.
• Former KGB officer and Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Zhirnov noted that Russia does not have the ability to violate the terms of the DSNO, since the state of its nuclear weapons is constantly deteriorating. Therefore, the withdrawal from the treaty indicates that either the Kremlin is ashamed to show its nuclear weapons, or it does not exist at all.