Chilling simulation predicts what may happen if nuke war erupts between Russia & Nato – with 35million dead in HOURS
A CHILLING nuclear war simulator has revealed how a Russian nuclear strike could trigger a global conflict, killing 35 million people in just a matter of hours.
The model predicts a catastrophic war escalating from an initial Russian nuclear strike, which quickly draws in other powers.
Known as “Plan A”, the four-minute animation aims to highlight the horrific potential consequences of conflict between Russia and NATO countries.
It was created by Princeton University researchers working with the Program on Science and Global Security.
The model predicts that almost 35 million people would die within hours – many of those in the first 45 minutes.
Such a devastating conflict would then leave a further 56 million injured – not including later deaths from nuclear fallout and other effects.
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The simulation begins with a conventional, non-nuclear conflict between Russia and the US/NATO.
Moscow fires a warning nuclear shot from a Black Sea base, aiming to halt the US advance.
NATO in response targets Russia with a single tactical nuclear air strike.
After this, the conflict quickly escalates, with Russia pounding NATO bases and advancing troops with some 300 nukes, carried either by aircraft or short-range missiles.
NATO responds with around 180 aircraft-borne nuclear missiles.
Such a war would result in 2.6 million casualties in just three hours, leaving much of Europe destroyed.
Russia would then launch nukes from its complement of missile silos, subs, and mobile launch pads.
Following this, NATO launches a strategic nuclear strike of around 600 warheads from the continental US and nuclear submarine fleets.
This devastating phase of the war could result in 3.4 million casualties in just 45 minutes.
This is the most serious crisis with a potential nuclear dimension involving Russia and the United States/NATO since the end of the Cold War
Dr Alex Glaser
In the final phase of the conflict, both sides would target each other’s 30 largest cities and economic centres with between five and 10 nukes for each one, to try and prevent the other side from recovering after the war.
Such a drastic move, the Princeton researchers believe, would lead to a further 85 million casualties within the space of 45 minutes.
The video was originally released in 2017 but has gained fresh attention in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February this year.
Dr Alex Glaser, who helped create the simulation, told : “As far as one can tell, this is the most serious crisis with a potential nuclear dimension involving Russia and the United States/NATO since the end of the Cold War, even if the risk of a nuclear war is still considered ‘small’ – as many analysts would argue.
“A crisis like the one we are currently facing often results in miscommunication between parties, exacerbated by the fact that there remain very few active lines of communication between Russia and the US/NATO.”
The Plan A simulation was originally prepared for an exhibition at Princeton’s Bernstein Gallery in 2017, before being made available to the public via a YouTube video two years later.
Its aim is to highlight the “potentially catastrophic” consequences of nuclear war between Russia and NATO.
Although the model shows many countries avoiding a direct nuclear strike, the longer-term impacts of such nuclear attacks would be devastating for billions of people on earth.
Experts previously warned that a world-ending nuclear war with Putin could wipe out five billion people worldwide, with nuclear fallout blocking out the sun for years resulting in catastrophic crop failures.
Meanwhile, Brits have been urged to stockpile supplies while the government should distribute iodine tablets, according to defence experts.
While a top British diplomat has warned that the world is currently at more risk of global conflict than at any time since WW2.
Earlier this week, RAF fighters escorted a “nuke sniffer” plane over the Black Sea, amid fears mad Vlad may detonate a nuclear bomb as a warning to the West.
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Two RAF Typhoons were scrambled to escort the Boeing RC-135 before sharply turning on themselves and heading back to NATO-friendly territory.
While British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was scrambled to Washington amid mounting concerns that Putin will push the nuclear button.
