Map shows alleged location of US nuclear weapons, not Russian targets

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, President Vladimir Putin has raised the possibility of an escalation to nuclear war. In this context, a map distributed on social networks in Greece in May 2024 purported to show Russian nuclear targets in Europe. However, the original map makes no mention of targets. It was released by the Russian news agency Sputnik in 2023 to show where in Europe the United States would be suspected of possessing nuclear weapons. Nuclear non-proliferation experts told AFP that Washington had never confirmed where its nuclear arsenal was located and that the map was only speculative.

Since the entry of Russian troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Moscow has highlighted its nuclear capabilities and warned that it is ready to deploy them in the event of an existential threat. On May 9, 2024, Putin said (archived here) that his nuclear forces were “always” on alert. On May 21, Russia announced the start of tactical nuclear weapons exercises near Ukraine (archived here).

A few days later, the map falsely claiming to show Russian nuclear targets in Europe began circulating on Greek social media and websites. It was relayed by Pronews.gr — a site which AFP has already noted shared erroneous information (here, here and here) — with the title: “Russia: publication of a map of nuclear targets in Europe — Greece on the list”.

The same image with similar claims was published by other Greek sites (here and here) and on Facebook (here). It was shared on This message even stated: “Moscow has already prepared targets in case it needs to use nuclear weapons.”

However, these claims are misleading. The map was published more than a year ago in an article speculating about where the United States might have placed nuclear weapons; it is not intended to show Russia's alleged nuclear targets. TThe United States has never officially confirmed or denied the presence of its nuclear stockpiles in any specific location.

Map of suspected US nuclear stockpiles

Through a reverse image search, the first version of the map that AFP was able to find was in an article published by Russian state media outlet Sputnik on March 27, 2023 (archived here). The European Union considers Sputnik a propaganda organ of the Kremlin and banned its broadcasts (archived here) in March 2022.

The Sputnik article containing the map was titled: “US nuclear weapons in Europe: Where are they stationed?” It emerged two days after Putin announced (archived here) his intention to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring ally Belarus. The West criticized the move, calling it “clinching.”

The map in the Sputnik article is titled “U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Europe, Estimated.” This headline is included in some articles sharing the same map with the false claim that it shows Russian targets. The article does not say that the map shows Russian nuclear targets, but introduces the image with: “The United States itself has dozens of nuclear bombs at bases across Europe. Check out the infographic from Sputnik to find out where they are.”

The graphic shows in dark blue the two US NATO allies that have their own nuclear arsenals – the UK and France – and in red the countries harboring US nuclear weapons, Belgium, France. Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. Poland is also highlighted (in pink) because it has requested the deployment of American nuclear weapons.

Sputnik attributes as sources for the map Sipri, which is the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, and the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. In an email sent to AFP on June 6, 2024, a representative of the Center confirmed that the map was based on a sheet that it had published on August 18, 2021 on WE nuclear weapons in Europe (archived here).

The fact sheet states that the United States and its NATO allies do not disclose exact figures on their deployed stockpiles in Europe, but that in 2021 it was estimated that there were 100 U.S. nuclear weapons stored in five NATO member states: Belgium, Germany, Italy. , the Netherlands and Turkey. These are the countries marked in red on the map.

“The weapons are not armed or deployed aboard aircraft; instead, they are kept in underground WS3 vaults at domestic air bases, and the Permissive Action Link (PAL) codes used to arm them remain in American hands.” , he says.

Besides the United States, NATO members France and the United Kingdom are nuclear powers, the fact sheet said. These are the countries marked in blue on the Sputnik map.

The factsheet also lists Greece as one of seven other countries that can participate in nuclear missions through conventional air support. The other countries are the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Norway, Poland and Romania.

According to ICAN, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Greece hosted U.S. nuclear weapons on its territory as part of a nuclear sharing agreement with NATO during the Cold War. Washington then withdrew the last of these weapons in 2001, according to ICAN.

American nuclear weapons in Europe?

According to the New York-based think tank Council on Foreign Relations, Washington has stationed nuclear weapons at several NATO bases in Western Europe since the 1950s, when Cold War tensions with the former Soviet Union were increasing. They are seen as a crucial military deterrent and a symbol of Washington's commitment to its NATO allies.

Since the United States does not confirm the presence of nuclear weapons in any particular location, the countries shown on the Sputnik map “are only a hypothesis.” Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation » Senior political director John Erath told AFP in an email dated June 7, 2024.

Héloïse Fayet, a researcher at the Center for Security Studies at the French Institute of International Relations, told AFP in a June 10, 2024 email that countries depicted as “hosting nuclear weapons” on the Sputnik map were indeed those included in NATO's nuclear program. -the terms of sharing.

“It is not surprising that Russia uses this map in its propaganda,” she said, noting that Moscow had complained about the United States stationing nuclear weapons in Europe “while the deployment of nuclear weapons by Russia in Belarus is strongly criticized. Still, the map does not constitute “a serious threat/target map,” Fayet said.

Putin said in March 2023 that Russia had sent nuclear weapons to Belarus, which borders Ukraine.

The Arms Control Association, which has also designated these same sites as likely locations of U.S. nuclear weapons, says Russia and the United States have the largest nuclear arsenals in the world, together accounting for nearly 90 percent of the world's 12,500 warheads. nuclear power in the world.

Nonproliferation experts say the United States has not increased its weapons stockpiles in Europe following Russia's war against Ukraine. “No additional nuclear weapons have been stationed anywhere,” Erath said Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation declared to AFP.

Fayet agreed. “The numbers are quite stable – around 100 tactical weapons, the B61 gravity bombs which can be dropped from fighter jets like the F-16 and the F-35. This bomb is being modernized (B-61/ 12) but “This decision was taken before the start of the war in Ukraine”, she explained to AFP. She cited this document (archived here) from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, an independent media. which focuses on nuclear risk, climate change and disruptive technologies.

Fayet indicated that negotiations were underway “in certain countries interested in having WE nuclear weapons on their soil, like in Poland… even if this has a low chance of happening. » But the outcome of these talks “could change depending on who is elected to the WE in November 2024,” she said.