The matter of Russian nuclear warfare is top-of-mind after Vladimir Putin introduced he has put his nuclear deterrents on "excessive alert".
Talking on Russian TV on Sunday night time, Putin mentioned he had put "deterrent forces on particular fight obligation".
The announcement stoked tensions because the Russia-Ukraine battle entered its second week.
Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, February 24, and since then, greater than 2,000 civilians have died, Ukraine's state emergency service mentioned, though that determine has not been independently verified.
Boris Johnson has accused the Russian president of battle crimes and Downing Avenue says "horrific acts" are occurring on an hourly foundation.
However what precisely does Putin's assertion imply? The Mirror examined the potential for Putin urgent the nuclear button and his mind-set.
Will Russia use nuclear weapons?
It stays unlikely, however Russian international minister Sergei Lavrov's menace that a "Third World Struggle will likely be nuclear, and devastating" won't encourage confidence.
The army doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction means a full-scale nuclear battle would set off the whole annihilation of either side, so, in addition to inflicting mass casualties and widespread devastation, it might be pointless.
Nevertheless, there may be all the time worrying scope for harmful miscalculation by both aspect, or a protagonist who's reckless and makes dangerous choices.
What's Putin's mind-set?
The 69-year-old Vladimir Putin has been in energy for practically 23 years - 19 of them as president and 4 as prime minister.
He has spent the most effective a part of two years largely reduce off from the surface world as he shielded himself from coronavirus, suggested by only a small interior circle of acolytes.
Reviews declare officers attributable to meet the Russian president are compelled to self-isolate for 2 weeks earlier than having their viewers.
There are additionally unconfirmed claims Putin could take steroids, together with his accusers pointing to the current puffiness of his face.
Used over lengthy durations, steroids can enhance moods and have an effect on sleep.
No10 final week refused to supply a "scientific evaluation" of Putin’s mind-set, after Defence Secretary Ben Wallace claimed he had "gone full tonto".
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Would Putin truly use nuclear weapons?
His televised handle final week did little to reassure western viewers he had full management of his schools.
Putin's senior advisers recommend no-one near Putin can converse candidly to him - elevating the scary prospect that even when his finger hovered over the metaphorical pink button, there is perhaps no-one able to intervene.
Western figures have been very clear they do no assume he's behaving "rationally".
When was the final time nuclear tensions have been this dangerous?
Two Chilly Struggle incidents introduced the US and Soviet Union nearer than ever to the brink of nuclear battle.
One was the 1983 In a position Archer train, an annual NATO wargame which, in contrast to in earlier years, had added realism - a lot in truth that Moscow turned satisfied the West was making ready a primary strike and loaded planes with nuclear warheads prepared to reply, earlier than tensions eased.
The opposite, way more critical, episode was the Cuban missile disaster of 1962. Soviet chief Nikita Khrushchev struck a deal to put nuclear weapons on the Caribbean island - inside simple vary of many US cities.
President John F Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba - which Khrushchev threatened to smash.
The Kremlin mentioned it might solely take away the Soviet missiles from Cuba if US weapons have been withdrawn from Turkey.
Because the disaster deepened, an American U2 spy airplane was shot down.
However JFK didn't retaliate. Equally, the USSR didn't react to a U2 flight over Siberia or the US navy forcing a Soviet submarine to floor.
13 days after the drama started, tensions eased. Kennedy had saved nukes out of Cuba, the Soviets had received the removing of missiles from Turkey.
Nuclear battle was averted.
What are the strengths of Russia and NATO's nuclear forces?
Russia has the world’s greatest nuclear warhead stockpile with 5,977, based on to the Federation of American Scientists.
As compared, it says the US has 5,428 whereas France has 290 and the UK has 225.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists says the Russian arsenal contains 4,447 warheads, of which 1,588 are deployed on ballistic missiles and at heavy bomber bases.
What nuclear weapons does the UK possess?
The UK’s solely remaining nuclear weapons are carried by 4 Vanguard-class submarines deployed on Operation Relentless, which has run since 1969.
Underneath the coverage of continuous-at-sea-deterrence, no less than one boat is all the time on silent patrol.
The submarines are armed with the Trident D5 II system.
Final 12 months the UK introduced it might increase the ceiling on its nuclear warhead stockpile from 180 to 260.