Russia's Tsar bomba: World's most powerful nuclear weapon of mass destruction (2024)

Russia's most powerful nuclear weapon was producedduring the Soviet era called the Tsar Bomba. It is believed the bomb was the most powerful weapon of mass destruction which was developed in 1961 during the Cold War.

The bomb when it was tested in Novaya Zemlya Island in the Arctic Ocean was reportedly visible from 1,000 kms away. Reports claim the explosion rose to a height of 67 km.

It was the most powerful human-made explosion ever recorded, according to reports. It was 3,800 times the strength of the US nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The bomb was also known as RDS-220.

The Tsar bomba exploded about 4 km above the ground and reportedly produced a mushroom cloud 60 km high. The bomb destroyed an uninhabited village 55 km from Ground Zero with damage to buildings seen from 100 kms away.

Reports say a seismic shock wave which was equivalent to 5.0 on the Richter Scale was measured around the world.

However, the bomb was never put to operational use and wasn't developed as a ballistic missile. It was widely seen as a "propaganda" weapon at the height of the Cold War.

The "Tsar Cannon" was tested in the same year as the Cuban missile crisis in 1961.

Russia had successfully test-fired theBulava intercontinental ballistic missile from the White Sea off Russia's northwestern coast in 2019.

The defence ministry said the "missile's flight went according to plan" and it landed at the set time.

Launched from an underwater position in the White Sea, off Russia's northern coast, it hit a target thousands of kilometres away on the Kamchatka peninsula in far eastern Russia.

Bulava is a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile(SLBM) which can deliver six independently targeted warheads, each equivalent to 150 kilotons ofTNT.

Each missile is between 50 and 60 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, which was approximately15 kilotons.

The Bulava has an estimated range of over 8,300 kilometers.

The launch waspart of the final validation trials of the Prince Vladimir submarine.

It is named after the 10th century Russian Prince Vladimir, the Great.

Also known as the boomer it is part of the Borei-IIclass submarines.

Launched in 2017, the Prince Vladimir submarine is the first upgraded model of Russia's Borei class of ballistic missile submarinesdesigned to be more manoeuvrable and quieter than previous models.

It is capable of carrying up to 16 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Thesubmarines are expected to form the basis of Russia's naval strategic nuclear force.

The Knyaz Vladimir submarine is the first upgraded 955A model to be produced in the Borei class ofRussiannuclear-powered ballisticmissilesubmarines.