As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to rage on, President Vladimir Putin has more recently discussed the possibility of nuclear war. In response to this potential threat, scientists have made it a priority to conduct studies to determine what would be the safest area to take shelter during a nuclear attack.
Specifically, they studied the “moderate damage zone” — where structures made from concrete are less likely to collapse.
Putin was quoted as saying: “As for the idea that Russia wouldn’t use such weapons first under any circumstances, then it means we wouldn’t be able to be the second to use them either – because the possibility to do so in case of an attack on our territory would be very limited. Nevertheless, we have a strategy… namely, as a defense, we consider weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons – it is all based around the so-called retaliatory strike. That is, when we are struck, we strike in response.”
He later issued another statement about Russia being prepared and willing to use every resource at their disposal should its territorial integrity ever be threatened: “This is not a bluff.”
Researchers at University of Nicosia in Cyprus used computer modeling techniques to simulate how far away from an explosion caused by a 750 kT atomic warhead people could survive with some degree of safety.
The results showed that outside the severe damage zone (SDZ) fatality rate would still largely remain at 100%, however survivability increases slightly beyond this point.
The study further stated that individuals who find themselves indoors should stay there or if they must venture outdoors into hallways they should crouch down against walls near corners instead of standing out in open spaces due to shockwaves produced by blast waves travelling through openings.
This could lead towards channeling effects, thus creating high airspeeds along corridors and further down corridors leading into other rooms with greater force than elsewhere within these spaces.
Author Dimitris Drikakis who worked on this project had this advice for anyone seeking shelter during a nuclear attack: ““If people see the explosion from far away they have to take shelter ASAP,” he said and added “before our study, the danger to people inside a concrete-reinforced building that withstands the blast wave was unclear.”
