Russians have made and tested vacuum bomb

It's probably due to fear for their own safety and the safety of their country. They worry that if other nations develop weapons far stronger than their own, those countries might choose to invade them. It's also partly to show off their capabilities, and to gain the respect of it's citizens and other nations. It reassures its citizens that they'll be safe from invasion, because their country can protect them. I know it'd be better if nobody at all had these weapons, but would you feel safe if your enemies had them and you didn't? But yeah, I definitely agree that they should be spending more money on overcoming poverty and hunger instead. If they don't want to help other countries, they should at least help their own citizens.