“Ukraine may restore nuclear status if US aid ends – The TimesThe Times reports on the possibility of Ukraine creating nuclear weapons in a few months if US military aid is cut. The country has enough plutonium and the technological capabilities to produce hundreds of tactical warheads.”, — write on: unn.ua
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The article states that Ukraine will be able to create a basic nuclear device similar to the “Fat Man” bomb used by the United States during World War II. Analysts explain that such a device does not require significant infrastructural capacity to enrich uranium – instead, plutonium from spent fuel rods of Ukrainian nuclear reactors can be used. Thanks to its experience in nuclear technology and the presence of nine reactors in operation, Ukraine is able to implement this plan within a few months.
Experts estimate that the country has a stockpile of plutonium in the amount of approximately seven tons, which is enough to manufacture hundreds of tactical warheads with a capacity of several kilotons. According to the authors of the report, even one such device could provide a significant defensive advantage, becoming a deterrent against military aggression.
The head of the department of the National Institute of Strategic Studies of Ukraine, Oleksiy Yizhak, noted that although the power of such a device could be smaller and less predictable due to the peculiarities of plutonium, even this would be enough to damage large military or industrial facilities.
The development of nuclear weapons would be an unprecedented step for Ukraine, which at one time voluntarily gave up the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world.
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