Amidst rising concerns of a potential WW3, the horrifying consequences of a nuclear attack have been outlined.

Russia's ongoing conflict in Ukraine could pose further threats to Europe and Western countries, as evidenced by their large-scale military exercises last week. These exercises mirrored the drills that occurred before their invasion of Ukraine.

Alarmingly for nearby NATO countries, these drills included a simulated nuclear strike, along with the deployment of drones and robotic systems.

In recent times, Russian drones have allegedly entered Polish and Romanian airspace, leading to the closure of runways at airports in Norway and Denmark due to suspicious drone activities.

British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also cautioned on Monday that British jets were prepared to 'confront' Russian aircraft violating NATO airspace following these drone incidents.

Should a Russia-NATO nuclear conflict erupt, the consequences would be catastrophic, especially considering the advancements in nuclear weaponry since they were last used in Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

This has left many pondering the exact aftermath of such an attack.

Russia violated NATO airspace earlier this month ( ALEXANDER KAZAKOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Immediate effects of nuclear attack

According to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, a nuclear explosion's core would reach temperatures of several million degrees Celsius.

This intense heat would vaporize human tissue over a vast area.

"Individuals inside buildings or otherwise shielded would be killed by the blast and heat effects as structures collapse and all flammable materials ignite," the organization explains.

Disturbingly, it warns that 'the immediate death rate would be over 90 percent'.

The organization adds: "Isolated fires would merge into a firestorm as oxygen is rapidly consumed. As the heat rises, air is drawn in from the periphery at or near ground level, resulting in deadly, hurricane-force winds, perpetuating the fire as fresh oxygen is burned."

While some might seek shelter underground, they would not be safe from the effects, as the oxygen would be depleted from the atmosphere.

The effects would be devastating (Anton Petrus/Getty stock photo)

Short-term effects of nuclear attack

Even those not in the immediate blast zone would suffer greatly, experiencing fatal burns, temporary blindness, injuries from glass fragments, and severe internal damage. Many would be trapped in collapsed, burning buildings.

"The mortality rate would be higher than in typical disasters, as most emergency services would be unable to respond, with equipment destroyed and personnel lost.

"The sheer volume of casualties would overwhelm any nation’s medical infrastructure. The International Red Cross has stated that the deployment of even a single nuclear weapon in or near a populated area would likely lead to a humanitarian disaster that would be 'difficult to manage'."

As evidenced by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which resulted in radioactive rain across Northern Europe, the repercussions of nuclear war would be far-reaching and long-lasting.

Exposure to high levels of radioactive fallout can lead to hair loss, bleeding from the mouth and gums, internal bleeding, gangrenous ulcers, vomiting, and fever.

There is no effective treatment, and death would likely occur within days.

Long-term survivors may end up developing cancer (Visoot Uthairam/Getty stock photo)

Longer-term effects of nuclear attack

At lower exposure levels, there is a greater likelihood of surviving the short term, but the death rate remains high, and recovery would be prolonged for any survivors.

For those who survive long-term, radiation-induced cancer is a probable outcome, often manifesting over twenty years later.