All nine nuclear-weapon states have modernized and expanded their arsenals amid growing international tensions. This is stated in a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), quoted by DPA, BTA reports.
According to the analysis published today, there is a general trend towards the expansion of nuclear programmes by all nuclear-weapon states.
“There is increasing evidence that nuclear-weapon states are neglecting, and in some cases even abandoning, their disarmament commitments“, said Hans Christensen, Senior Fellow in SIPRI's Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme.
“By resorting to nuclear solutions, states are creating new risks and fuelling the dynamics of the arms race“, he added.
The institute estimates that Russia and the United States together possess 83% of all nuclear warheads in the world. After the end of the Cold War, both countries gradually destroyed decommissioned nuclear warheads.
SIPRI experts estimate that as of January 2026, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel had a total of 12,187 nuclear warheads.