The Russian military has come a long way since the Cold War in terms of developing its nuclear Arsenal. According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has just under 6,000nuclear warheads. A nuclear warhead is simply the device that triggers a nuclear explosion.
While no nuclear warheads have been launched, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered this past Sunday that Russian nuclear deterrent forces be put on alert in response to what he called “aggressive statements” by leading NATO powers along with the hard hitting financial sanctions that were laid upon Russia by the United States. What this means is that Russia will be ready at a moment’s notice to launch nuclear weapons if they deem necessary.