Report to Congress on Russia’s Nuclear Weapons
U.S. Naval Institute Staff
May 22, 2025 2:14 PM
The following is the May 22, 2025, Congressional Reserach Service In Focus report, Russia’s Nuclear Weapons.
From the report
Russia presents an “acute threat” to the United States and its allies, according to the 2022 National Defense Strategy. The 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, a Biden Administration review of U.S. nuclear policy, states,
Russia remains the U.S. rival with the most capable and diverse nuclear forces. Today it is unique in the combination of strategic and non-strategic nuclear forces it fields that enables nuclear employment ranging from large-scale attacks on the [U.S.] homeland to limited strikes in support of a regional military campaign [in the Euro-Atlantic region].
Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued nuclear weapons threats, stated that Russia has deployed nonstrategic nuclear weapons to its ally Belarus, and declared the suspension of certain Russian obligations under the 2010 New START Treaty that limits U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear forces. Congress may choose to examine U.S. deterrence and risk reduction policy toward Russia.
Force Structure
According to one 2025 nongovernmental estimate, Russia has around 1,718 deployed nuclear warheads based on a triad of strategic delivery vehicles roughly consisting of 330 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), 12 ballistic-missile submarines (SSBNs) with 192 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and 58 strategic bombers. Russia has not exchanged official data with the United States about the structure of its strategic nuclear forces since 2023. Russian officials have stated, however, that Russia continues to abide by New START limits, thus maintaining rough parity with U.S. strategic nuclear forces. According to one 2025 nongovernmental estimate, the United States has around 1,770 deployed nuclear warheads.
https://news.usni.org/2025/05/22/report-to-congress-on-russias-nuclear-weapons-3
