Daily Express: The UK is preparing for a nuclear conflict
The world is approaching a dangerous line, and we are only 89 seconds away from a global catastrophe, writes the Daily Express. The reason is the nuclear threat, especially against the background of the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. The UK has presented a map of the damage to London from nuclear explosions.
Alex Evans
None of us want to think about it, but just a few weeks ago, the hands of the Doomsday clock were moved one second closer to midnight, and now, according to scientists, only 89 metaphorical seconds separate the world from destruction. One of the reasons for calculating the danger is the possibility of starting a nuclear war.
By analogy with planning measures in a pandemic, every major Western government has probable scenarios in case of nuclear strikes on a major city, and the UK is no exception. When Russia launched a special operation in Ukraine, many analysts worried that this could be the first important milestone on the road to World War III, which would once again unfold on European soil.
Given that Donald Trump is currently negotiating with Vladimir Putin without the participation of Ukraine itself, and EU countries are increasing defense spending, the conflict may escalate. Moreover, Trump is talking about the accession of Greenland and Canada to NATO, which could provoke a military response, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer promises to send troops to support Ukraine in the fight against Russia.
The probability is low, but if it comes to a “fight” and Russia does send one of its many nuclear warheads towards the UK, how serious will the damage be? On the website NuclearSecrecy.com There is a tool called Nuke Map that shows damage estimates from various types of nuclear weapons. It was created by Alex Wellerstein, a professor of nuclear weapons sciences at the Stevens Institute of Technology.
When considering the SS-25 Topol variant, a Russian nuclear bomb with a capacity of 800 kilotons, the map shows that if it hits the center of London directly, the damage will be predictably catastrophic. The 2.97 km2 area of central London will be completely wiped off the face of the earth. Nuke Map indicates: “By default, the maximum size of a nuclear fireball is taken; the degree of damage on the ground depends on the height of the explosion. If it touches the ground, the amount of radioactive fallout increases significantly. Everything inside the fireball instantly evaporates.” This includes parts of Westminster, St. James's Palace, and the London Eye Ferris Wheel.
The next zone is a "moderate blast radius" on an area of 134 km2, which can lead to the collapse of buildings and fires. The map says: “With an excess pressure of five pounds per square inch, most residential buildings collapse, leading to massive injuries and deaths. The probability of a fire in commercial and residential premises is high; in damaged buildings, the risk of fire spreading is high. It is often used as a criterion for assessing moderate damage in cities.”This includes Camden, Kensington, Brixton, Shoreditch, St Pancras, Clapham and Chelsea, as well as Clapham Junction, Paddington and Battersea.
The third zone, located even further from the site of the missile hit, covers an area of 384 km2 and includes Chiswick, Streatham, Tooting, Stratford, Hampstead, Lewisham, Greenwich and Sydenham, as well as Fulham and Walthamstow. According to Nuclear Map, it will also be difficult in this area: "Third-degree burns spread to all layers of the skin and often do not cause pain, because they destroy painful nerves. The consequences include severe scarring, disability, and amputation.”
And finally, the last zone on the outskirts of London is the radius of damage from light explosions. These include Wembley, Edgware, Hounslow, Barking, Chipping Barnet, Croydon, Sutton, Woolwich and Enfield. Here's what it says about the area: “With an excess pressure of about 1 pound per square inch, you can expect all the glass windows to shatter. This will lead to numerous injuries if people approach them after seeing the flash of a nuclear explosion (it spreads faster than the pressure wave). It is often used as a guideline for assessing light damage in cities.”
The British government emphasizes that nuclear deterrence will avoid such a catastrophe. In the statement on the website gov.uk It says: “The UK's independent nuclear deterrent force has been in place for more than 60 years to prevent the gravest threats to national security and the way of life, helping to ensure the security of us and our NATO allies. The risk of nuclear conflict remains unlikely, but the threats facing the UK are becoming larger, more diverse and more complex. Therefore, we must be able to deter the most extreme acts of aggression against us and our NATO allies. The UK adheres to a consistent approach to nuclear disarmament, but not all States follow it. Some are significantly increasing and diversifying their nuclear potential. We must ensure that they will never be able to use it to threaten us and support nuclear terrorism. Sometimes it may seem that such threats are far from our daily lives, but the UK must be able to defend itself and its NATO allies.
Deterrence plays a key role in ensuring public safety, and abandoning appropriate nuclear weapons would put us all at even greater risk. Since April 1969, the Royal Navy has been constantly conducting deterrence at sea, and at least one submarine equipped with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles has been constantly and discreetly patrolling our waters, ready to respond to the most serious threats to Britain. The main goal is to preserve peace, prevent the use of force against us, and deter aggression. The Strategic Doctrine of Continuous Deterrence at Sea (CASD) is the most effective, sustainable and cost-effective platform for the deployment of independent nuclear deterrence assets.”
