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Russia has 6,000 nuclear weapons of various types. This is more than half of the entire world arsenal, compared to the United States' 4,000 warheads. Tactical weapons make for about 2,000 of the Russian inventory. The notion of "no first use" has never been accepted by Russia.
In terms of nuclear weapons usage, Russian doctrine has always advocated "calculated ambiguity." Many of Moscow's missile systems, such as the 300-mile-range Iskander, can carry both conventional and nuclear payloads. The Kinzhal air-to-ground hypersonic missile, which Russia claims to have used in Ukraine on March 18, does as well.
Nations have struggled to develop logical tactics for superpower confrontation in a world with nuclear weapons since Hiroshima, and even more so since the Soviet Union tested its first nuclear bomb in August 1949. None of them have been particularly successful.
Putin scorns the West's alleged weakness, decadence, and concern about casualties. If Putin deploys a weapon of mass destruction in Ukraine, he may believe that, despite current President Joe Biden's stern warnings in Europe this week, he would be able to avoid escalation into a superpower battle.
The US military said this week that it was having trouble convincing Russia's top generals to accept their calls for routine safety conversation, which is cause for alarm.
Amidst all of this, Americans fear of a nuclear attack is not only valid but very probable. Putin is on loose and it won't be surprising if he decides to do something like this for his totalitarian agenda.