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Russia Expands Ready-to-Launch Nuclear Arsenal to Highest Level in Nine Years
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Russia has expanded the number of nuclear warheads ready for deployment to 1,796, reaching its highest level in nine years, according to The Moscow Times on September 11.
Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shows that Moscow has increased the quantity of nuclear warheads mounted on delivery systems for four consecutive years.
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In 2026, Russia’s total nuclear arsenal stood at 5,420 warheads.
This total includes 2,604 warheads stored in reserve, 1,020 categorized as retired and awaiting dismantlement, and 1,796 active charges mounted directly on operational missiles and heavy bombers. Moscow expanded its deployed warhead stockpile by 78 units over the past year.
In contrast, the United States maintained an unchanged inventory of 1,770 deployed warheads out of a comparable overall nuclear capacity. Other major nuclear powers kept their deployed counts stationary, with France holding 280 and the United Kingdom maintaining 170.
China increased its deployed warheads to 34, up from 24 in 2025, out of a total stockpile of 620. India placed 12 warheads into deployed status for the first time, out of an estimated total arsenal of 190.The volume of operational Russian nuclear warheads has risen every year during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Records show 1,588 deployed charges in 2022, 1,674 in 2023, 1,710 in 2024, and 1,718 in 2025. Compared to 2020 figures, the Kremlin has expanded its active delivery-ready nuclear strength by 14 percent, adding 226 warheads to achieve its highest deployment count since 2017, when the total reached 1,950.
Russian land-based nuclear forces, consisting of silo launchers and mobile missile systems, have the physical capacity to hold 1,092 warheads. Current operational deployments occupy 892 of these slots, with the remaining allocation kept in storage facilities.
Across the naval branch, 13 strategic submarines operating in the Northern and Pacific Fleets are built to carry 208 missiles and 928 warheads. However, because two submarines are currently undergoing full overhauls, the total number of naval warheads available for immediate deployment drops to 704.
An additional 586 warheads are assigned to strategic bombers. This figure remains below the maximum potential load of 650 warheads that Russian heavy aviation can carry.
Analysts noted that only a portion of the bomber fleet is in fully operational condition, pointing out that Russian Aerospace Forces sustained operational aircraft losses following military strikes during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) dismantled Russia’s RM-48U ballistic missile and revealed that the weapon was assembled from repurposed S-300 and S-400 missile components.
Intelligence analysts discovered that the missile relied heavily on foreign electronics, including dozens of parts manufactured by companies based in the United States.
Following their technical assessment, HUR published a detailed breakdown of the missile on its War&Sanctions portal, showcasing its internal systems, electronic components, and an interactive 3D model.
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