Russia, China and North Korea target US arsenal

Simulation reveals the devastating impact of a US nuclear weapon on capitals such as Moscow, Beijing and Pyongyang, showing the scope of destruction

The US is inadvertently involved in several conflicts around the world by supporting its allies, while facing tensions with China over a range of issues, including trade.

The recent escalation of the war between Russia and Ukraine has generated increasing discussions about nuclear war, and the Newsweek analyzed the impact of a Russian nuclear weapon on US cities and NATO capitals.

Now, the Newsweek also examined the impact of an American nuclear weapon on the capitals of North Korea, Russia and China. Maps created by Alex Wellerstein, professor and historian of nuclear technology, were used to assess the effects of an attack with the B-83, the largest weapon currently in the US arsenal.

The fireball radius (inner yellow circle), in which everything would be vaporized by the intense heat reaching millions of degrees Fahrenheit, would reach approximately 4.11 km². The explosion’s moderate damage radius (inner gray circle), covering 175.4 km², would destroy residential buildings and likely cause widespread fires.

Anyone within 546 km² of the explosion (the thermal radiation radius: wider orange circle) would be at risk of suffering third-degree burns to the entire skin, “often painless because they destroy the pain nerves”, and can cause severe scarring, disability and require amputation.

Within the explosion’s light damage radius (wider gray circle), 1,386 km² from the epicenter, glass windows are expected to break, which could cause injury.

A Newsweek contacted the U.S. and Russian defense departments via email for comment. It also contacted the Permanent Mission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the United Nations and the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, via email.

Pyongyang, North Korea

In Pyongyang, an estimated 1,327,820 people would die and 1,105,660 would suffer injuries. In any 24-hour period in the city, there are, on average, 3,177,764 people in the light blast area (1 psi) of the detonation simulation.

Moscow, Russia

In Moscow, there are, on average, 10,222,930 people in the light blast area (1 psi) in any 24-hour period. Around 1,374,840 would die and 3,747,220 would suffer injuries.

Beijing, China

In Beijing, an estimated 1,548,460 people would die, with an average of 9,038,075 people in the light blast area (1 psi) in any 24-hour period. Around 3,332,190 would suffer injuries.

Methods

A Newsweek analyzed the results of an air strike, more likely in a city attack than a surface attack, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

These estimates would be strongly influenced by the altitude of the detonation. This model assumed an altitude of 10,890 feet (3,320 meters) to maximize the 5 psi range.

The Context

The US has supported Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia, where President Vladimir Putin signed an update to nuclear doctrine that emphasizes that Russia will make “all necessary efforts to reduce the nuclear threat” and seeks to avoid escalating tensions between states that could lead to “military conflicts, including nuclear ones”.

The doctrine also states that nuclear deterrence must ensure “the understanding, on the part of a potential adversary, of the inevitability of retaliation in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation and/or its allies.”

Last week, Ukraine used US-made ATACMS missiles against a target inside Russia for the first time, following President Joe Biden’s authorization for such use.

This followed Moscow’s deployment of North Korean troops to the front lines in the Kursk region, an action described by the Biden administration as a significant escalation of the conflict.

Earlier this month, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall warned that “a war with China or Russia is not unlikely and could occur at any time.”

This came after China carried out its largest invasion rehearsal around Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing considers part of its territory, over the summer.

China’s claims to islands, reefs and maritime zones in the South China Sea conflict with those of other countries in the region, but its disputes with the Philippines, the United States’ oldest ally in Asia, have led to physical clashes and political tensions. more intense.

With information from Newsweek*