Russia is reportedly researching a new generation of tactical nuclear weapons in the kiloton (equivalent to 1,000 tons of TNT) to 10 ton range. Some of these weapons would be “clean”, that is releasing relatively little radiation. Others, so-called “neutron bombs,” are the exact opposite, with very little blast effect but releasing a lot of radiation to kill enemy troops protected in bunkers and armored vehicles. The
Free Beacon also mentions nukes that release an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), and weapons that release large amounts of x-ray and gamma ray radiation.
Experts differ widely on how many tactical nuclear weapons Russia currently has. The Soviet Union reportedly had more than 20,000 weapons during the Cold War, but most were dismantled as they grew obsolete. Nuclear weapons are also expensive to maintain and Russia had little money to maintain them after the breakup of the USSR. The
Free Beacon states that Russia has between 3,300 and 10,000 tactical nuclear weapons. The Federation of American Scientists, however,
puts the number at 2,000.