The US government has spent $290 million on anti-radiation drugs as the threat of nuclear war grows.
The war in Ukraine has gone from bad to worse for Russian forces with the latest blow, the partial destruction of the Kerch bridge, coming just a day after President Putin's birthday.
As the conflict drags on, many fear that Putin will unleash more lethal weapons such as chemical weapons or tactical nuclear strikes.
The U.S. investment in preparing for nuclear war comes at a time of what President Biden has described as the highest nuclear threat since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. But the government said the purchase of Nplate pills was unrelated. with him.
A spokesman for the Department of Human Services in Washington, which announced the decision, told the Daily Telegraph: “This is part of our ongoing work on radiological preparedness and safety. It has not been precipitated by the situation in Ukraine."
Nplate pills are used to treat acute radiation syndrome, one of the most dangerous threats caused by nuclear explosions.