"Putin's Nuclear Posturing: Russia's Arsenal and Threats"

Russia possesses the world's largest stockpile of nuclear warheads, with President Vladimir Putin controlling about 5,580 warheads, and the country's nuclear doctrine outlines conditions for their use. The United States has expressed concerns about Russia's nuclear modernization, and Putin has indicated that Russia would consider testing a nuclear weapon if the U.S. did. The Russian president holds the ultimate authority over the use of nuclear weapons, with a system of briefcases and electronic command-and-control networks facilitating communication with military top brass and the issuance of launch orders.