Contact: Shannon Bugos, senior policy analyst, [email protected]
On April 8, 2010, Russia and the United States signed the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). The treaty requires both sides to limit the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to no more than 1,550 and fielded delivery platforms to 700. The treaty also permits the United States and Russia to conduct 18 annual on-site inspections of facilities operated by the other country. Biannual data exchanges indicate the current state of their strategic forces.
As of March 1, 2022, Russia had 526 deployed strategic delivery systems, 1,474 deployed strategic nuclear warheads, and 761 deployed and non-deployed strategic launchers. Russia is in the process of both retiring many of its older strategic systems and replacing them with new systems.
For a factsheet on U.S. strategic nuclear forces under New START, click here.
Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)
The following tables are based on public source data given that Russia does not release official statistics for specific New START accountable delivery systems. They are current as of early 2020 and sourced from russianforces.org.
Missile system | Number of systems | Warheads | Total warheads | Deployment |
| R-36M2 (SS-18) | 46 | 10 | 460 | Dombarovsky, Uzhur |
| Avangard/UR-100NUTTH (SS-19 Mod 4) | 2 | 1 | 2 | Dombarovsky |
| Topol (SS-25) | 45 | 1 | 45 | Barnaul, Vypolzovo |
| Topol-M silo (SS-27) | 60 | 1 | 60 | Tatishchevo |
| Topol-M mobile (SS-27) | 18 | 1 | 18 | Teykovo |
| RS-24 mobile | 135 | 4 | 540 | Teykovo, Yoshkar-Ola, Novosibirsk, Nizhniy Tagil, Irkutsk, Barnaul |
| RS-24 silo | 14 | 4 | 56 | Kozelsk |
| Total | 320 |
| up to 1181 |
Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs) and Submarines
Submarines
As of early 2020, the Navy had 10 functional strategic submarines of three different types, of which 10 are functional and 1 is being overhauled. They are deployed with the Northern Fleet and the Pacific Fleet.
Bases of the Northern Fleet host five 667BDRM (Delta IV) submarines. One other Delta IV is undergoing overhaul. The Northern Fleet also hosts the lead submarine of the Project 955 class. The Pacific Fleet base hosts one 667BDR (Delta III) submarine and two Project 955 submarines.
Project 955 (also known as Borey or Yuri Dolgorukiy) is the newest class of submarines. Construction began in 1996, and the first joined the Northern Fleet in 2013, though subsequent submarines of this class have joined the Pacific Fleet in September 2015 and September 2016. As of January 2016, three Project 955 submarines have been accepted into service, with an additional four under construction.
When the missiles on Project 941 (Typhoon) class submarines reached the end of their service lives, these submarines were withdrawn from service. The one exception is the lead ship of the class, TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy, which was refitted for the new missile system, R-30 Bulava. This new system is designed for deployment on the Borey-class nuclear submarines. The Borey class submarines are expected to constitute the core of the Russian strategic submarine fleet, replacing the aging Project 941 and Project 667 boats. Russia is planning to build eight Borey and Borey-A class subs by 2020.
Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles
RIA News reported, in June 2012, that the Bulava sea-based ballistic missile had entered service. The Bulava (SS-NX-30) SLBM, developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, carries up to 6 MIRV warheads and has a range of over 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles). Borey class strategic submarines will carry up to 16 Bulava ballistic missiles, each with multiple warheads.
Strategic submarines | Number of submarines | Number of SLBMs and their type | Warheads | Total warheads |
Project 667BDR (Delta III) | 1 | 16 R-29R (SS-N-18) | 3 | 48 |
Project 667BDRM (Delta IV) | 6a | 80 R-29RM (SS-N-23) | 4 | 320 |
Project 941 (Typhoon) | 1b | - - - | - - - | - - - |
Project 955 (Borey) | 3 | 48 R-30 Bulava | 6 | 288 |
Total | 10 | 144 |
| up to 656 |
| [a] One submarine is undergoing overhaul and those missiles are not counted. [b] One submarine of the Project 941 type has been refitted as a test bed for the Bulava missile system. It is not counted in the total number of operational submarines. | ||||
Strategic bombers
Russian Long-range Aviation Command consists of six divisions, two of which are the heavy-bomber divisions made up of Tu-160 and Tu-95MS aircraft. The Army has four divisions of Tu-22M3 (Backfire C) bombers.
As of early 2020, the Command is estimated to have 66 strategic bombers. The bombers can carry various modifications of the Kh-55 (AS-15) cruise missile and gravity bombs.
Bomber | Number of bombers | Number of cruise missiles and their type | Total cruise missiles |
| Tu-95MS (Bear H) | 55 | Up to 16 Kh-55 (AS-15A) | |
| Tu-160 (Blackjack) | 11 | 12 Kh-55SM (AS-15B) | |
| Total | 66 | ~200 |