What would happen if a nuke was dropped on Washington, DC – with up to 90% of lives at risk as WW3 threat looms

AS tension between Russia and Ukraine escalates, prompting fears of World War 3 threats, some have begun to question what would happen if a nuke was dropped on a major city.

Britain and the US have begun withdrawing some staff and their families from Ukraine, fearing Russia will invade any day.


The move comes as Russia has already massed around 100,000 troops near Ukraine.

A Russian invasion of Ukraine could trigger a world war as President Joe Biden remains steadfast against Vladimir Putin.

Now, many have wondered what would happen if Washington DC or another major city was targeted by the horrific weapons.

According to NUKEMAP, if a nuke were to be dropped on the nation's capital, the number of fatalities and injuries would be catastrophic.

If a nuke such as the one the US dropped on Hiroshima during World War 2 fell on DC, it is estimated that 120,550 people would die and another 168,800 would be injured.

The fireball would have a radius of 180miles, the air blast radius would be 340miles, and the radiation radius – where death rates would be between 50 percent and 90 percent – would be 1.2kilometers.

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If an 800kiloton Topol nuke, which is currently the largest in the Russian arsenal, were used on the US capital, it would be far more devastating.

An estimated 412,600 people would die, and another 374,610 people would sustain injures, The News reports.

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Around 8,500 US forces have been put on "heightened preparedness" as tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalate.

Isabel Sawkins, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, thinks any potential conflict in Eastern Europe would not be confined to its borders.

She told The US Sun: “The crisis has the potential to extend its tentacles into all corners of the globe.”

Sawkins warned that Chinese president Xi will be “watching” the Ukrainian crisis unfold.

The expert added: “If Russia invades Ukraine, Xi will be emboldened to invade Taiwan. The idea of being part of one nation is similar – Russia and Ukraine, and China and Taiwan.”

Taiwan split from China in the civil war in 1949, but Beijing claims the island as its own territory.


It’s thought that the formal declaration of independence would be the likely trigger for a potential conflict as Washington has tried to deter Beijing from seizing the island by force.

China flew 39 warplanes towards Taiwan in its latest incursion to assert power in the region, according to the Taiwanese defense ministry.

It included 24 J-16 fighter jets, 10 J-10 jets, a nuclear-capable H-6 bomber, and other support aircraft. In addition, they engaged in anti-submarine air and combat readiness exercises.

Beijing refused to explain why they flew the planes but said it was not a “diplomatic matter”.

Sawkins warned that nothing is stopping Russia from expanding its sphere of influence.

She said: “There’s a history of relationships between the Soviet Union and Latin America.

“There’s nothing to stop Russia from expanding into Africa. There are so many terrifying possibilities, and it’s not going to be just the European continent.”

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