So far none have blown up on launch or from subs.
In summary
China does not give out any info on nuclear testing other than "good news"
A few dead Chinese does not matter to the Chinese authorities.
Have any U.S. nuclear weapons ever blown up on launch?
No, a U.S. nuclear weapon has never fully detonated as a nuclear explosion during a launch or accident, but several have come extremely close, with their high-explosive components detonating, causing conventional blasts, contaminating areas, and injuring people, highlighting the dangers of "broken arrow" incidents where armed or unarmed nukes were lost, dropped, or involved in crashes, with safeguards preventing full nuclear yield.
Have any Russian nuclear weapons blown up on launch?
While no Russian nuclear warhead has famously "blown up" during a standard launch, Russia has had major incidents involving nuclear-capable missiles where things went very wrong, like the 2019 Nyonoksa accident (a nuclear-powered missile test) causing radiation release, and more recent video evidence (Nov 2025) of a heavy ICBM (Sarmat) failing right after launch, crashing nearby, indicating potential launch failures without full detonation but significant mishaps.
Key Incidents & Context:
- Nyonoksa Radiation Accident (2019): This was a critical event involving a nuclear-powered cruise missile (NATO: "Skyfall," possibly Burevestnik), not a standard ballistic missile with a traditional nuclear warhead. A nuclear reaction occurred during its recovery from a failed test, causing casualties and radiation release, but not a launch explosion.
- RS-28 Sarmat (Nov 2025): A recent video shows a new heavy ICBM failing shortly after launch, losing power, and crashing near the site, suggesting launch system failures or test issues, but no detonation.
- Burevestnik (2017): An unsuccessful test of the nuclear-powered missile crashed into the Barents Sea.
In summary: Russia has experienced significant failures and accidents with nuclear-capable systems, including radiation leaks and missile crashes shortly after launch, but a full-scale nuclear detonation during a standard operational launch of a warhead hasn't been publicly confirmed.
Key Incidents & Context:
- Nyonoksa Radiation Accident (2019): This was a critical event involving a nuclear-powered cruise missile (NATO: "Skyfall," possibly Burevestnik), not a standard ballistic missile with a traditional nuclear warhead. A nuclear reaction occurred during its recovery from a failed test, causing casualties and radiation release, but not a launch explosion.
- RS-28 Sarmat (Nov 2025): A recent video shows a new heavy ICBM failing shortly after launch, losing power, and crashing near the site, suggesting launch system failures or test issues, but no detonation.
- Burevestnik (2017): An unsuccessful test of the nuclear-powered missile crashed into the Barents Sea.
In summary: Russia has experienced significant failures and accidents with nuclear-capable systems, including radiation leaks and missile crashes shortly after launch, but a full-scale nuclear detonation during a standard operational launch of a warhead hasn't been publicly confirmed
Have any Chinese nuclear weapons blown up on launch?
While there are no reports of an accidental, catastrophic explosion of a Chinese nuclear warhead on launch, China did conduct a successful test launch in 1966 where a nuclear-armed missile was intentionally detonated at the end of its flight over a test site.
Details on China's missile-related nuclear activities:
- Successful Nuclear Missile Test: On October 25, 1966, an army unit successfully launched a DF-2 rocket carrying an atomic warhead. The missile traveled approximately 500 miles and detonated as planned over the Lop Nur test site in Xinjiang.
- No Reported Accidents: Publicly available information regarding China's nuclear weapons program and its 45 total tests (conducted between 1964 and 1996, all at Lop Nur) does not mention any instances of an actual nuclear warhead accidentally exploding on the launchpad or failing in a way that caused a nuclear detonation.
- Testing Procedures: China's nuclear tests included both atmospheric and underground detonations. The first thermonuclear test in 1967 was air-dropped from an H-6 bomber, not launched by missile, and was also successful.
- Safety Measures: Modern Chinese nuclear warheads are generally thought to be stored separate from their launchers, a practice that reduces the risk of an accidental nuclear detonation.
These historical records detail China's nuclear weapons tests, including a successful 1966 nuclear missile test detonation:
List of nuclear weapons tests of China - Wikipedia
The list of nuclear weapons tests is a listing of nuclear tests conducted by the People's Republic of China from 1964 through 1996...
Wikipedia
China Detonates Its First Atomic Weapon | Research Starters - EBSCO
On October 16, 1964, the People's Republic of China conducted its first successful atomic bomb test, making it the fifth nation gl...
EBSCO
Chinese nuclear weapons, 2025
Mar 12, 2025 — The Pentagon reported in 2024 that China's nuclear stockpile had “surpassed 600 operational warheads as of mid-2024” (
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
China Explodes Its First Nuclear Bomb | Research Starters
The so-called Cultural Revolution was started by Mao in 1966 as a way to purge the nation of those who did not show enough loyalty...
EBSCO
Project 639 - Wikipedia
The device was detonated at Lop Nur, in Bayingolin, Xinjiang, on 17 June 1967. It was dropped from a Xian H-6 (Chinese manufacture...
Wikipedia
China and weapons of mass destruction - Wikipedia
In late 1965, Chinese physicists developed a Teller-Ulam design equivalent for thermonuclear weapons. On May 9, 1966, China carrie...
Wikipedia
7 sites
China Explodes Its First Nuclear Bomb | Research Starters
The so-called Cultural Revolution was started by Mao in 1966 as a way to purge the nation of those who did not show enough loyalty...
EBSCO
China and weapons of mass destruction - Wikipedia
In late 1965, Chinese physicists developed a Teller-Ulam design equivalent for thermonuclear weapons. On May 9, 1966, China carrie...
Wikipedia
Chinese nuclear weapons, 2025
Mar 11, 2025 — The Pentagon reported in 2024 that China's nuclear stockpile had “surpassed 600 operational warheads as of mid-2024” (
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Has the Lop Nur test site been cleaned up and is it safe now?
The Lop Nur nuclear test site
has not been officially cleaned up in a publicly verified manner, and it is not considered safe for human access. The site remains a restricted military area, and its full environmental and health impacts are unknown due to a lack of transparency from the Chinese government.
Key points regarding the safety and cleanup status of Lop Nur:
- Residual Radiation: Significant residual radiation containing harmful isotopes like cesium-137, strontium-90, and plutonium-239 remains at the site and in the surrounding environment. These substances will continue to be a health hazard for generations.
- No Independent Assessment:[ China has not permitted any independent, international assessment of the environmental or health impacts of its testing program. Information on radiation measurement data is limited.
- [Health Impacts: Studies and NGO reports have documented elevated rates of cancer, birth defects, and other illnesses among residents living downwind of the test site, with radiation seeping into soil and water sources.
- Lack of Remediation: Unlike other nuclear powers (such as the U.S. and Kazakhstan) that have initiated some form of restitution or environmental remediation schemes, China has refused to acknowledge the victims or carry out comprehensive environmental cleanup of the public-access areas surrounding the military zone.
- Active Military Base: The site remains an active military complex, with recent satellite imagery indicating ongoing upgrades and construction, including new tunnels and support buildings, suggesting continued use for nuclear-related activities (e.g., subcritical tests or preparation for future tests).
- Restricted Access: The area is not open to the public and is controlled by the People's Liberation Army.
In summary, the site remains contaminated and is actively used as a military facility, with no evidence of comprehensive environmental remediation efforts that would make it safe for general access. |
