UN Secretary-General António Guterres said earlier in the year that nuclear war is "back within the realm of possibility." A Russian nuclear attack would likely focus on high-value targets in North Dakota or Montana. Even if every single US intercontinental ballistic missile silo, stockpiled nuclear weapon, and nuclear-capable bomber were flattened, US nuclear submarines could — and would — retaliate. Brooke Buddemeier/Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryThe US has strategically positioned the bulk of its nuclear forces, which double as nuclear targets, far from population centers. Update: This article was originally published in 2017 but has since been updated and re-published amid concerns that the war in Ukraine could escalate to nuclear war.

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