MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree "On the approval of the Foundations of the State policy of the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear deterrence." The document was published on the legal information portal on November 19. The decree has entered into force.
Putin approves updated nuclear doctrine
The conditions determining the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons are:
receipt of reliable information about the launch of ballistic missiles attacking the territories of Russia and (or) its allies;
▪the use by the enemy of nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction on the territories of Russia and (or) its allies, on military formations and (or) objects of Russia located outside its territory;
▪the enemy's impact on critically important state or military facilities of Russia, the disabling of which will lead to the disruption of the response of nuclear forces;
*aggression against Russia or Belarus as members of the Union State with the use of conventional weapons, creating a critical threat to their sovereignty and (or) territorial integrity;
receipt of reliable information about the massive launch (take-off) of means of aerospace attack (strategic or tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned, hypersonic and other aircraft) and their crossing of the state border of Russia;
Russia will regard aggression by a state from a military coalition, bloc or union as aggression by such an association as a whole, according to the updated nuclear doctrine.
In addition, aggression against Russia and (or) its allies by any non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state will be considered as their joint attack, the document says.
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The fundamental principle of the doctrine is that the use of nuclear weapons is a measure of last resort to protect the country’s sovereignty. The emergence of new military threats and risks prompted Russia to clarify the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons.
In particular, the amended doctrine expands the range of countries and military alliances subject to nuclear deterrence, as well as the list of military threats that such deterrence is designed to counter. In addition, the document states that Russia will now view any attack by a non-nuclear country supported by a nuclear power as a joint attack. Moscow also reserves the right to consider a nuclear response to a conventional weapons attack threatening its sovereignty, a large-scale launch of enemy aircraft, missiles, and drones targeting Russian territory, their crossing of the Russian border, and an attack on its ally Belarus.
The updated doctrine suggests that the basis for a nuclear strike may be "aggression against the Russian Federation and its allies by any non-nuclear state with the support of a nuclear state," as well as a massive air attack by non-nuclear means, including drones.
The press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the updated doctrine was "published in a timely manner." This is how he answered the question about the connection between the publication of the nuclear doctrine and the fact that the United States allowed the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike with American missiles deep into the territory of the Russian Federation,
"The relevant instructions of the president were given in advance. The President himself said that the preparation of these changes is already at the final stage," Peskov said.
Vladimir Putin proposed updating the doctrine of nuclear deterrence at a meeting of the Russian Security Council on September 25. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian president, said that the changes should be considered as a "definite signal" for the West. "This is a signal that warns these countries about the consequences if they participate in an attack on our country by various means, and not necessarily nuclear," Peskov said.
On September 25, Vladimir Putin announced amendments to the nuclear doctrine, which was last updated in 2020. The President explained that the authorities must take into account the changing military and political situation and the emergence of new sources of military threats and risks for Russia and its allies. After the publication of the decree, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian president, said that potential opponents should understand the "inevitability of retaliation" in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation.
The previous version of Russia’s nuclear doctrine was approved in June 2020, replacing a similar document that had been in force for ten years.
Putin approved Russia's updated nuclear doctrine two days after U.S. President Joe Biden on November 17 authorized the Armed Forces of Ukraine to launch strikes on Russian territory using American long-range ATACMS missiles.
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