A pro-Putin TV channel in Russia has aired a simulation depicting a nuclear strike on London, which it claims would result in 850,000 deaths and an additional two million casualties.
The video, broadcast on Tsargrad’s Telegram channel, has reignited concerns over the Kremlin’s nuclear sabre-rattling, particularly as the UK weighs allowing Ukraine to deploy long-range Storm Shadow missiles against Russian targets.
Hypothetical attack: Westminster as ground zero
The chilling four-minute video, originally published three months ago but recently resurfaced, shows a 750-kiloton nuclear bomb detonating in the heart of London. The simulation, narrated in graphic detail, begins with the explosion at Westminster.
“Upon detonation, a fireball as hot as the sun rapidly expands, reaching a radius of 950 meters,” the narrator explains. “Anything trapped inside this fireball is instantly vaporized.” According to the video, the blast would devastate major districts including Camden, Kensington, Brixton, and the City of London. The initial death toll is estimated at over 250,000, with 600,000 additional people severely injured.
The broadcast further claims that as many as 450,000 people would later succumb to injuries from radiation sickness, burns, and falling debris. “Many of these injuries could prove fatal over the next days and weeks,” the narrator warns. “Radiation sickness in particular will take lives days and weeks later. In time, about 100,000 more will be added to the death toll.”
This latest instance of nuclear brinkmanship comes as the UK considers whether to allow Ukraine to use advanced Storm Shadow missiles, which could hit deep into Russian territory.
The video is seen as an attempt to exert psychological pressure on the British government and the public. The simulation was shared on the Telegram channel owned by Konstantin Malofeev, a Russian oligarch and staunch ally of President Vladimir Putin. Known as the “Orthodox Oligarch” for his ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, Malofeev has long been a vocal supporter of the Kremlin’s aggressive policies.
Historical context: Other nuclear war simulations
The Tsargrad simulation isn’t the first of its kind. Earlier this year, a viral simulation of a NATO nuclear strike on Russia showed that 45.3 million Russians would be killed in a full-scale attack. In 2019, a Princeton University study, “Plan A,” warned that even a limited nuclear exchange in Europe could spiral into a global conflict, resulting in over 90 million deaths within hours.
As the conflict in Ukraine grinds on, Russia’s increasingly frequent nuclear threats have alarmed the international community. Vladimir Putin has repeatedly alluded to the use of nuclear weapons if Moscow perceives an existential threat. This latest video, while hypothetical, highlights the escalating risks in a conflict that continues to destabilize Europe. As the world watches, decisions by the UK and other Western nations regarding the extent of their military support for Ukraine could have far-reaching consequences.