The updated version of the Russian Federation’s nuclear doctrine proposes to consider aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, as their joint attack against the Russian Federation. This was announced by President Vladimir Putin at a meeting of the Russian Security Council.
The Head of State noted that over the past year, experts have conducted an in-depth analysis and assessed the need to adjust approaches to the possible use of Russian nuclear forces. Based on the results of this work, it was proposed to make a number of clarifications on the definition of the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons.
“Thus, the draft framework expands the category of states and military alliances against which nuclear deterrence is being carried out. The list of military threats to neutralize which nuclear deterrence measures are being carried out is added. What else I would like to draw your attention to in particular: in the updated version of the document, it is proposed to consider aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, as their joint attack on the Russian Federation,” – Putin said.
In addition, the document, according to him, clearly sets out the conditions for the Russian Federation’s transition to the use of nuclear weapons.
“We will consider this possibility once we receive reliable information about the massive launch of aerospace attack weapons and their crossing of our state border. I am referring to strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, hypersonic aircraft and others,” the Head of State stressed.
Russia also reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against Russia and Belarus as a member of the Union State, “even if the enemy, using conventional weapons, poses a critical threat to our sovereignty,” Putin added. All these issues were agreed with the Belarusian side.
“All the clarifications are thoroughly verified and are proportional to modern military threats and risks against the Russian Federation,” the President stressed.
