MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday presented proposed amendments to Russia’s nuclear doctrine that would allow it to launch a nuclear response in the event of a “massive air attack”.
Putin said this during a meeting of Russia’s Security Council that considered changes in the nuclear doctrine and updated nuclear deterrence strategy.
Putin said that the new doctrine would consider any nuclear power supporting an attack on Russia as a participant in aggression.
“We will consider such a possibility once we receive reliable information about a massive launch of air and space attack weapons and their crossing our state border,” he stated, outlining the conditions under which Russia may consider deploying its nuclear arsenal.
The revised doctrine explicitly states that an attack on Russia by a non-nuclear nation, if backed by a nuclear power, will be perceived as a “joint attack on the Russian Federation.” While Putin did not clarify whether this revision specifically entails a nuclear response to such scenarios.
This announcement comes amidst heightened tensions between Russia and Western countries, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Since Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine in 2022, he has repeatedly threatened to utilize Russia’s nuclear capabilities to deter what he views as escalating Western involvement in the conflict. The Kremlin has often warned NATO and the United States against providing Ukraine with advanced weaponry, particularly long-range systems capable of striking Russian territory.
The current nuclear doctrine allows for the use of nuclear weapons in response to attacks involving weapons of mass destruction or in situations where the very existence of the state is threatened by conventional military aggression.
“Moscow could use its nuclear arsenal in response to the use of nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction against it and/or its allies, as well as in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is in jeopardy.”
The revised version of the document spells out conditions of nuclear weapons use in greater detail, noting they could be used in case of a massive air attack involving aircraft, cruise missiles or drones, Putin said.
