Data published on Russian, US strategic offensive arms

Moscow, May 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) Russia has published a document listing the number of aggregative strategic offensive arms in its possession and that of the US under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) as of March 1.

According to the latest figures provided by the Foreign Ministry here on Monday, Russia possessed 517 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and deployed heavy bombers, while the US possessed 651, reports Xinhua news agency.

Additionally, the US had 1,357 warheads on deployed ICBMs and deployed SLBMs, and nuclear warheads counted for deployed heavy bombers, while Russia had 1,456, the Ministry said.

It added that while Russia possessed 767 deployed and non-deployed launchers of ICBMs and SLBMs, and deployed and non-deployed heavy bombers, the US had 800.

The New START treaty, signed in April 2010 by the two countries, limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550 and deployed missiles and bombers to 700 for each country.

It entered into force on February 5, 2011, and would have expired on February 5, 2021.

On February 3, the two countries announced a five-year extension of the treaty.

The former administration of US President Donald Trump tried to conclude a shorter extension of the treaty last year after rounds of negotiation with Russia, but the two sides failed to finalise a formal agreement.

Immediately after taking office, President Joe Biden proposed a full five-year extension of the treaty, a move welcomed by the Kremlin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on January 29 signed a bill into law ratifying the extension.

Source: IANS