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BLACKJACK POLITICS: Putin may unleash supersonic nuclear bomber loaded with radioactive missiles

The world has witnessed the Russian strongman, 69, amass an intimidating roster of nuclear weapons over the years

Vladimir Putin is known for flaunting Russia's military prowess and its weapons of mass destruction, leading to growing fears about the possibility of nuclear warfare even before Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

The world has witnessed the Russian strongman, 69, amass an intimidating roster of nuclear weapons over the years. Among some of the most terrifying weapons of mass destruction in Russia's arsenal is a supersonic nuclear bomber that was built in 2018. Now, there are concerns that Putin may put it to use as he intensifies the offensive against Ukraine.

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According to the Daily Star, the TU-160M aircraft (NATO codename Blackjack) -- based on a design by the Tupolev Design Bureau during the Soviet era -- could reach speeds of 1,349 mph, meaning it could fly from Moscow to New York within three hours. The aircraft also had the capacity to carry 12 nuclear missiles on board for 7,500 miles non-stop without refueling.

Current versions of the TU-160 have been used in Syria where Russian troops bombed forces opposing President Bashar al-Assad, one of Moscow's closest allies in the Middle East. However, the new modernized version is billed to be 60 percent more effective than the previous version. Tupolev, the plane's manufacturer, explained that considerable improvements had been made to its navigation, electronic, and weapons systems. "The TU-160 is a weapon of deterrence and it is great that Russia is able to start making it again," Rinat Khamatov, the plane's chief welder, said at the time. Meanwhile, Putin remarked, "This is a serious step towards developing our hi-tech sphere and strengthening the country's ability to defend itself."

The Russian military reportedly purchased 10 of these expensive aircraft -- expected to cost the government 15 billion roubles each between 2018 and 2027. That said, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has dealt a massive blow to Russia's economy. One Russian Ruble is currently equivalent to 0.0055 Pounds sterling, which is almost half of what it was a month ago prior to the invasion on February 24, according to currency data cited by the Daily Star. Nonetheless, Russia has continued its offensive in Ukraine with no signs of slowing down.

Putin's forces recently bombed a maternity and children's hospital in the city of Mariupol as part of an airstrike. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack a war crime and said that a number of people were trapped under the wreckage. Ukrainian media said that at least 17 people, including staff and patients, were injured. In another shelling, a convoy of buses packed with people fleeing the war on Tuesday, March 8, was struck, with 21 people, including two children, losing their lives, Ukrainian authorities said. Thousands of people, including civilians and soldiers, are thought to have been killed. 

And in one of the most recent cases of atrocities against civilians, a chilling video captured the moment when a Russian ‘special peacekeeping’ tank blew up a car in a completely unprovoked attack. An elderly civilian couple was killed inside the car. A clip doing the rounds on social media showed the car moving into the frame before halting as a Kremlin tank fired on the vehicle twice, blowing it into pieces.