Global Nuclear Warhead Count Rises for the First Time in Years
- On Friday, September 11, The Moscow Times reported Russia expanded its active, ready-to-launch nuclear arsenal to 1,796 warheads, reaching its highest deployment level in nine years.
- According to a new assessment from SIPRI, all nine nuclear-armed states expanded or modernized their arsenals in 2025, even as total global warhead numbers declined due to dismantlement of retired weapons.
- Moscow's total arsenal stands at 5,420 warheads, including 2,604 in reserve and 1,020 retired. SIPRI estimates the world held about 12,187 warheads as of January 2026, with roughly 9,745 in military stockpiles.
- The expiration of the 2010 New START treaty between the United States and Russia in February 2026 without replacement has complicated independent verification of strategic deployments and doctrine shifts.
- China increased its deployed warheads to 34, while Britain and France coordinated nuclear forces via the Northwood Declaration. Poland, Finland, and Sweden have discussed hosting United States nuclear weapons.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Russia has increased the number of its deployed nuclear warheads for the fourth consecutive year, bringing their number to the highest level since 2017. This is stated in the annual report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), entitled “World Nuclear Powers”, cited by the Ukrainian publication nv.ua. The report notes that as of January 2026, Russia’s nuclear arsenal is estimated at 5,420 warheads. Of these, 2,604 are i…
Global nuclear warhead count rises for the first time in years
The world’s nine nuclear-armed states expanded their arsenals in 2025, according to a new assessment from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Researchers Hans M. Kristensen and Matt Korda found that most countries deployed new nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable weapons during the year, even as the overall number of warheads in the world continued to decline. […]
Putin continues to increase the number of nuclear warheads ready for launch, according to SIPRI. The level is the highest Russia has had in nine years, writes The Moscow Times. It has now surpassed the United States.
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