A terrifying animation shows how 1 'tactical' nuclear weapon could trigger a US-Russia war that kills 34 million people in 5 hours

According to a frightening simulation, more than 90 million people in Russia, the US, and other NATO countries could be killed or injured in three hours.

"Plan A" is an audio-visual piece that was first posted to the internet in September of 2019. The animation shows how a battle between Russia and NATO allies involving the use of so-called low-yield or "tactical" nuclear weapons can pack a blast comparable to if not greater than the atomic bombs.

There is a need to highlight the potentially catastrophic consequences of US and Russian nuclear war plans. The project states that the risk of a nuclear war has increased in the last two years.

The video has a soundtrack reminiscent of the 1983 movie "WarGames." Alex Wellerstein said that the movie in which Matthew Broderick accidentally triggered a nuclear war was the reference point.

Simulations can be useful. They can be used by governments to develop contingency plans to respond to nuclear disasters and attacks in the least escalatory way, and they can also help ordinary citizens learn how to survive a nuclear attack.

As Russia and the US were testing weapons banned under a nuclear treaty, "Plan A" was released. Russia's war against Ukraine has put Russia and NATO at odds, with concerns growing that the war could lead to a larger conflict that goes nuclear.

A nuclear warning shot and the use of a tactical nuclear weapon could quickly lead to a full-scale nuclear war.

Science and Global Security, Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Policy

Conventional warfare escalates into nuclear warfare when Russia launches a nuclear "warning shot" from a base near Kaliningrad to stop NATO advancement. Russia does not have a "no first use" policy anymore. NATO launched a nuclear attack.

The US has tactical nuclear weapons, such as B61-12 gravity bombs, which the Trump administration made the development of more a priority. Russia has more tactical nuclear weapons than any other country.

These kinds of weapons are designed for targets on the battlefield instead of long- or intermediate-range nuclear missiles that are fired from one country to another.