The dreadful horror of nuclear detonation has been brought to life in a YouTube video, as the spectre of World War III shows no sign of fading.
Via channel Modern Muscle, viewers get a front-row seat for what would unfold during the first 30 minutes if the US was to launch an organised attack on Russia - although people are now concerned that nuclear war could break out with Iran too.
Foresight tells us that the so-called 'Dead Hand' retaliation project - brought up most recently by the Russian Federation's Deputy Chair of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, in a warning shot at Donald Trump - should deter any potential violence on the country's land, but it's still weirdly fascinating to witness how the whole sorry mess might look in its infancy.
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Lasting for over 10 minutes, the simulation depicts 400 LGM-30 Minuteman III ICBM weapons - its entire arsenal of intercontinental guided missiles with nuclear delivery - shooting out of silos towards Vladimir Putin's homeland.
"These 400 missiles have a range of over 6,000 miles and have near pinpoint accuracy," reads a rolling explainer.
They'll be launched from underground missile silos in Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado.
Terrifyingly, each warhead boasts way more power than the atomic bombs sent to Japan in World War II and would reach their targets in less than half an hour.
J. Robert Oppenheimer would be turning in his grave.
Meanwhile, the US arsenal also includes some serious devils in Trident II ballistic missiles - the most destructive pieces of equipment in their possession, travelling at 18,000 mph.
These will be launched from submarines.
Apparently, it'd take Russia as many as 16 minutes to prepare its counterforces, which includes around 126 ICBMs of its own, placed across four tactical locations.
According to Army Technology, Russia has around 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads on ICBMs and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
A number of Trump's weapons locked onto those locations, such as Russia's Pacific Fleet and other telecommunication centres.
Thirty minutes into this probably world-ending manoeuvre, the Russian landscape would be rendered uninhabitable, with Putin and his armies either dead or something close to.
In 2019, a study estimated that 34.1 million people would die and 57.4 million would be injured in the first hours of a nuclear war between the US and Russia,
YouTube users weren't particularly convinced by this bleak vision, though, as they pointed towards an unrealistic reaction from Russia.
"I don't think Russia would just be sitting there waiting for the nukes to hit em," wrote one person in the comment section.
"It's mutually assured destruction no matter how it plays out," claimed another. "To quote the movie War Games, the only way to win is to not play the game.
Topics: US News, Russia, Politics, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump
Dan Seddon