LB,
I personally think that Chernobyl put that myth to bed, the fact a "contained" leak spread throughout Europe so rapidly and so widely shows that if it had gone seriously Pete Tong Europe would have been decimated with the fallout, even if he manages to take out the US without a solitary return strike, the rest of the world, Russia included would be pretty much dead from there on. It's ok having bunkers to retreat too, but eventually they will have to return above ground.
Interesting read
Is Vladimir Putin bluffing or should we be worried about his new 'miracle weapons'? - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)