How Many Nukes Does Russia Have?

How many nuclear warheads Russia holds, what carries them, and its test and treaty record, as of early 2026. Two independent counts (FAS and SIPRI) are shown side by side, every figure cited.

By Marko Visic, BSc Physics

Russia has an estimated 5,420 nuclear warheads as of early 2026 (FAS). 1,796 are deployed on strategic launchers, and 4,400 are in the military stockpile. A further 1,020 are retired and awaiting dismantlement. SIPRI’s January 2026 count matches.^{[1, 2]}

Warhead count

FAS and SIPRI are compiled by the same analysts and agree on the totals; they split the categories slightly differently. Retired warheads are awaiting dismantlement and are not part of the reserve.

FAS (beginning of 2026 (FAS page updated 2026-06-09))

Deployed (strategic)	1,796
Deployed (nonstrategic)	0
Reserve / nondeployed	2,604
Military stockpile	4,400
Retired, awaiting dismantlement	1,020
Total inventory	5,420

SIPRI (January 2026 (SIPRI Yearbook 2026, Table 8A.1))

Deployed	1 796
Stored (nondeployed)	2 604
Military stockpile	4 400
Retired, awaiting dismantlement	1 020
Total inventory	5 420

Terms: deployed = on missiles or at bomber bases; reserve / stored = non-deployed but in the stockpile; military stockpile = deployed + reserve; retired = withdrawn, awaiting dismantlement; total inventory = stockpile + retired.^{[1, 2]}

How Russia delivers them

Delivery systems from the latest Nuclear Notebook / SIPRI table (2026 (Table 1, Nuclear Notebook published 2026-05-14)). A “?” or a dash is the source’s own mark of an uncertain or unstated figure.^[3]

System	Type	Launchers	Per launcher	Warhead × yield	Weapons	Year	Warheads
SS-18 M6 Satan / RS-20V (Voevoda)	ICBM	40	10	10 × 500–800 kt (MIRV)			400
SS-19 M4 / Avangard	ICBM (hypersonic glide vehicle)	12	1	1 × HGV (yield not printed)			12
SS-27 Mod 1 (mobile) / RS-12M1 (Topol-M)	ICBM	18	1	1 × 800? kt			18
SS-27 Mod 1 (silo) / RS-12M2 (Topol-M)	ICBM	50	1	1 × 800 kt			50
SS-27 Mod 2 (mobile) / RS-24 (Yars)	ICBM	180	3	3 × 100? kt (MIRV)			540
SS-27 Mod 2 (silo) / RS-24 (Yars)	ICBM	24	3	3 × 100? kt (MIRV)			72
SS-29 (silo) / RS-28 (Sarmat)	ICBM	–	10	10 × 500? kt (MIRV)		(2026)	–
Subtotal		327					1,092
SS-N-23 M2/3 / RSM-54 (Sineva/Layner)	SLBM	5 SSBNs / 80 missiles	4	4 × 100 kt (MIRV)			256
SS-N-32 / RSM-56 (Bulava)	SLBM	8 SSBNs / 128 missiles	6	6 × 100 kt (MIRV)			672
Subtotal		13 SSBNs / 208 missiles					928
Bear-H6/16 / Tu-95MS6/MS16/MSM	bomber	45			6 × AS-15A ALCMs or 14 × AS-23B ALCMs		430
Blackjack / Tu-160/M	bomber	15			12 × AS-15B ALCMs or AS-23B ALCMs, bombs		156
Subtotal		60					586
Subtotal		595					2,606
SS-26 Stone / 9K720 Iskander-M	SRBM (nonstrategic)	156	1	1 × 10–100 kt			130
SSC-8 Screwdriver / 9M729	GLCM (nonstrategic)	16	1	1 × 10–100 kt			30
SS-X-31 Oreshnik	ballistic missile (listed under nonstrategic)	12	6	6 × 250 kt			72
SSC-X-9 Skyfall / Burevestnik	GLCM	–		1 x ?		2028	–
Tu-22M3(M3M) / Su-24M / Su-34 / MiG-31K	nonstrategic aircraft	292			ASMs, AAMs, ALBMs, bombs		488
LACMs, SLCMs, ASWs, SAMs, DBs, torpedoes	naval nonstrategic						767
SA-20/SA-21 / S-300/S-400	air defense	744		1 × low			200
Gazelle / 53T6	missile defense	68		1 × 10 kt			68
SSC-1B Sepal / Redut	coastal defense	8		1 × 350 kt			4
SSC-5 Stooge (SS-N-26) / K-300P/3M-55	coastal defense	56		(1 × 10 kt)			35

warheads=1,794^[3]

Blast radius of Russia’s warheads

For each distinct warhead yield in Russia’s arsenal, the air-burst 5 psi (most homes destroyed) and 3rd-degree-burn radii, calculated by the same engine as the blast radius calculator.^{[4, 5]}

Yield	5 psi radius	3rd-degree burns	Links
10 kt	0.83 mi (1.3 km)	1.1 mi (1.8 km)	chart
100 kt	1.8 mi (2.9 km)	3 mi (4.8 km)	chart
250 kt	2.4 mi (3.9 km)	4.3 mi (6.9 km)	chart
350 kt	2.7 mi (4.4 km)	4.9 mi (7.9 km)	chart
800 kt	3.6 mi (5.8 km)	6.8 mi (11 km)	chart

Russia’s nuclear tests

Total: 715^[6]
Devices: 969^[6]
First: test #1, 29 Aug 1949, STS (Semipalatinsk Test Site), surface, 22 kt^[7]
Last date: 1990-10-24^[8]
Site semipalatinsk: 450 plus Soviet tests at Semipalatinsk^[9]
Site novaya zemlya: approximately 130^[8]
Largest: Tsar Bomba (AN602), 50 Mt, October 1961, Novaya Zemlya^[8]

Treaty status

NPT: party (nuclear-weapon state); signed 1968-07-01; ratified 1970-03-05^[10]
CTBT signed: 1996-09-24^[11]
CTBT ratified then withdrawn: ratified 2000; ratification withdrawn 2023^[12]
CTBT withdrawal effective: 2023-11-03^[13]

Frequently asked questions

How many nuclear weapons does Russia have?

Russia has an estimated 5,420 nuclear warheads as of early 2026, according to the Federation of American Scientists. SIPRI’s January 2026 count is the same.^[1]

When did Russia first test a nuclear weapon?

Russia’s first nuclear test is recorded as test #1, 29 Aug 1949, STS (Semipalatinsk Test Site), surface, 22 kt.^[7]

Is Russia part of the Non-Proliferation Treaty?

On the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Russia is: party (nuclear-weapon state); signed 1968-07-01; ratified 1970-03-05.^[10]

Every figure on this page comes from a verified primary source, cited inline and listed below. Warhead counts are the Federation of American Scientists’ Status of World Nuclear Forces and SIPRI’s Yearbook; delivery systems come from the Nuclear Notebook; blast radii are calculated from Glasstone & Dolan scaling laws. Candidate and unverified figures are withheld.

Data as of 22 October 2026. By Marko Visic, BSc Physics.

Sources

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