How many nuclear weapons does Russia have? The size and characteristics of the Russian nuclear stockpile.

Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine, backed by frequent nuclear threats, has focused attention on the scope of Russia's nuclear capabilities. The short assessments the United States Government provides are inadequate. Because of the very limited U.S. government information on the scope of Russia's nuclear capabilities, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) estimates are cited globally as if authoritative and definitive; they clearly are not. The numerous FAS numbers are largely undocumented and little documentation apparently exists to support their data. It is possible that the Russian nuclear force may be in the size range that the FAS estimates but it is also possible that it is twice as large or even larger. The Russian nuclear advantage may already be several to one and it is growing. The Russian advantage is particularly notable in non-strategic nuclear weapons. An accurate understanding of Russia's nuclear capability is a critical element in shaping America's nuclear deterrence requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]