Global tensions have escalated sharply following Russia's deployment of a new nuclear-capable missile system, which Moscow claims can strike London in just eight minutes. The weapon, unveiled as the "Oreshnik," is now on combat duty in Belarus, placing European capitals within minutes of potential devastation.
The 'Unstoppable' Oreshnik Missile System
The newly deployed Oreshnik system remains under the direct control of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian authorities state the missile is capable of engaging targets at ranges of up to 5,000 kilometres (over 3,106 miles) and can be launched from any point along its patrol route. It can be equipped with both conventional and nuclear warheads.
President Putin has used the weapon once before, in a test launch against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024. That launch did not carry a live warhead and was widely interpreted as a strategic warning to Kyiv and Western nations.
The Belarusian defence ministry confirmed the missile division has begun combat patrol missions across the country. While Belarusian military expert Andrey Bogodel insisted the system is defensive, its control lies with the Kremlin. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko stated the missile would "make him strong," adding, "The strong have always been respected everywhere."
Simulating the Unthinkable: London Under Nuclear Attack
As the geopolitical threat level rises, a sobering online tool called NUKEMAP, created by science historian Alex Wellerstein, offers a devastating glimpse into the potential consequences of a nuclear strike on a city like London. The simulator allows users to detonate virtual warheads of various yields and types over any location on Earth.
For a simulation centred on Canary Wharf in East London, the results are horrifying:
- 45-kiloton warhead (largest tested by Pakistan): An estimated 70,820 fatalities and 435,320 injuries.
- TN 80/81 warhead (300 kilotons, France's most powerful): Projected deaths soar to 353,280, with injuries exceeding 1.3 million.
- Castle Bravo warhead (15 megatons, largest US test): A surface blast, deemed non-ideal for an urban target, could cause nearly 2.4 million deaths and over 2.7 million injuries.
The tool highlights the stark difference between a surface blast, which creates a crater, and an airburst, which explodes above ground to maximise destruction over a wider area—a tactic considered more likely against cities.
A Timeless Warning from History
Warnings about the catastrophic power of modern nuclear weapons are not new. In 2021, Hiroshima survivor Chieko Kiriake, then 95, addressed a hearing organised by Hiroshima Speaks Out. She emphasised that current nuclear arms are "hundreds of times more powerful" than the bombs dropped on her city and Nagasaki in 1945.
"If war broke out and nuclear weapons were ever used, the Earth would be destroyed," she warned. Her poignant comments resonate deeply amid current fears of escalation between nuclear-armed states, concerns that have only intensified following recent US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The deployment of the Oreshnik missile system adds a fresh and urgent alarm to this volatile landscape. Tools like NUKEMAP serve as a terrifyingly clear reminder of the stakes involved. The grim reality underscored by these simulations is that in a nuclear exchange, there are no winners—only unimaginable human loss.
