Nuclear weapons are slightly over-demonized, their danger is exaggerated — military analyst Hetman

He stated this on Espreso. 

"Nuclear weapons are often demonized. Scientists have conducted calculations and determined that for the end of civilization to happen, all the nuclear warheads on the planet would need to be simultaneously detonated. There would need to be three times the number of nuclear bombs currently in existence. Therefore, the use of nuclear weapons alone would not result in the end of the world. The destructive range of nuclear weapons is not measured in kilometers but rather in meters. Significant devastation occurs within a radius of 2-3 km from the epicenter of a tactical nuclear explosion. Radiation, although present, is not the primary component of its destructive power. In essence, nuclear weapons are exceptionally powerful bombs, with the shock wave being their main effect rather than radiation contamination," explained the military analyst.

Oleksiy Hetman added that if the enemy were to use a tactical nuclear bomb against advancing troops, it would be ineffective since individuals located 3-5 km away from the explosion would remain unharmed. Furthermore, the military is well-prepared and knowledgeable in handling chemical or nuclear attacks.

"For instance, if a tactical nuclear missile were launched 1,000 km away on the front line, it would not yield any advantages. From a military standpoint, it may make sense to use such missiles to target specific military, infrastructural, or energy facilities. But such weapons are primarily deployed within a country rather than on the front line. So these warheads would need to be delivered via cruise or ballistic missiles, which can be intercepted by our defenses. Another factor to consider is that the nuclear weapons' storage period is 10 years. Most of the Russian warheads have not been replaced since 1991. It is uncertain whether these nuclear charges would detonate at all. We often discuss the concept of a dirty bomb, which is an expired atomic bomb. In such a scenario, the fuse may explode, dispersing radioactive material within a radius of 100 meters, but there would be no chain reaction," he stated.

Hetman emphasized that from a military perspective, the Russians would not achieve anything significant by employing nuclear weapons: “There would simply be a powerful explosion, and radiation levels would decrease rapidly over time, making the apocalypse unrealistic. The danger posed by nuclear weapons is exaggerated. This exaggeration serves the purpose of global opposition to the proliferation of such weapons, which is a sound policy. To summarize: firstly, no one intends to annihilate another with nuclear weapons, secondly, this weapon is not as perilous as it is portrayed, and thirdly, it is unlikely that the Russians would use it, given the warning they have received about the potential response from the NATO bloc.”

• On February 27, the G7 countries issued a statement indicating that the use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons by Russia would result in severe consequences. 

• On May 9, CNN reported that despite the Kremlin's aggressive rhetoric, US intelligence does not observe signs of Russia's nuclear forces being activated.