Warheads are a weapon that explodes through a nuclear reaction. These are known for their ability to cause mass destruction and death.
At present, there are around 12,705 nuclear warheads in the world, according to Statista, a German company specializing in market and consumer data.
Because of this, nuclear wars, and threats of nuclear attacks are viewed with a high degree of graveness, reports USA Today.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, Google searches for "nuclear weapons" and "nuclear war" even spiked.
Which country has the most nuclear weapons?
Reports say Russia has the world's biggest nuclear arsenal, followed by the United States (US).
Russia has a nuclear arsenal of 6,850 nuclear weapons, of which 1,600 were deployed, 2,750 are stored and 2,500 were retired, according to a report by Business Insider.
Meanwhile, the US has an arsenal of 6,450 nuclear weapons, of which 1,750 were deployed, 2,050 are stored and 2,650 were retired.
Russia's arsenal is at 5,997 nuclear warheads as of January 2022 and the US with 5,428 nuclear warheads, said Statista, a German company specializing in market and consumer data.
Besides, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Russia has a stockpile of around 4,477 weapons in its nuclear arsenal.
In comparison, the US has around 3,708 warheads, reports USA Today.
Despite varying reports on stockpiles, Russia and the US have far more nuclear weapons than the rest of the world, accounting for 90% of the world’s stockpile.
The country with the third-most nuclear weapons is China with 350, according to Statista. However, Business Insider says China has 280.
Meanwhile, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said the global number of nuclear warheads fell to 12,705 in January 2022 from 13,080 in January 2021, reports Reuters.
An estimated 3,732 warheads were deployed with missiles and aircraft, and around 2,000 - nearly all belonging to Russia or the US - were kept in a state of high readiness.
Can Russian missiles reach the US?
Russian land-based missiles could reach the US in 30 minutes, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit science advocacy organization.
Both the US and Russia have their missiles ready, meaning they can launch attacks within minutes.
How many countries have nuclear weapons?
As many as nine countries have nuclear weapons, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
The countries are - China, North Korea, France, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia, UK and US.