Nearly 35 million people could die in a few hours if nuclear war erupts between Russia and NATO, according to a chilling simulation. It's predicted that the war may escalate after Russia's nuclear strike over contested regions which can drag other powers into the conflict.
The four-minute animated model created by Princeton University researchers working with the Program on Science and Global Security points out the terrific consequences of nuke war between NATO and Russia.
35 Million People Could Die in Hours
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, according to The Sun.
NATO Could Use Its 180 Aircraft-Borne Nuclear Missiles
Following these actions, the conflict escalates and Russia would pound the military bases of NATO. Russia advances troops with nearly 300 nuclear weapons that could be delivered by plane or missiles.
After this, NATO could use its 180 aircraft-borne nuclear missiles for the attack on the Russian soil.
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, according to The Sun.
The simulation predicts the death of over 35 million and most of them could die in the first 45 minutes. Nearly 56 million could be injured in this war. However, deaths from the other effects and nuclear fallout are not included in the estimation.
The clip, which was released in 2017, concludes that in the final leg of the conflict NATO and Russia would target each other's 30 largest cities and economic centers. The terrific conflict could lead to 85 million casualties within minutes, according to the simulation.
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