On 19 November President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed an executive order to adopt an updated nuclear doctrine –the basic principles of the state policy of the Russian Federation on nuclear deterrence. Talking about upcoming amendments to the doctrine back in September, the Russian leader stated that the modern military and political situation in the world changes dynamically. The emergence of new military threats to Russia and its allies requires an adjustment of approaches to nuclear deterrence.
Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov stated on 18 November that the text of the updated nuclear doctrine should be thoroughly analyzed both in Russia and abroad.
There are definitely things that merit thinking about. Particularly in the wake of the latest events, including the decision of the United States of America to allow Kiev to strike deep into Russia’s territory using American long-range missiles. The first strikes were carried out on the night of 18 November. Moscow saw it a signal that the West is intent on escalating the situation.
Conditions for using the nuclear weapons and the protection of allies. What is the essence of the doctrine?
The updated doctrine specifies conditions, under which Russia can use nuclear weapons. It also specifies a category of countries and military unions the nuclear deterrence targets.
“The Russian Federation sees nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence. Nuclear weapons can be used as an extreme and forced measure,” the document reads.
The doctrine specifies five conditions, under which Russia can carry out a nuclear strike. One of them is aggression against Russia or Belarus as members of the Union State of Belarus and Russia using conventional weapons, provided the aggression represents a critical threat to their sovereignty or territorial integrity.
Moscow can resort to nuclear weapons if the adversary uses nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction against territories of the Russian Federation or its allies as well as against army units and Russian installations beyond the country’s territory.
A nuclear response is also possible if credible information is received about the launch of ballistic missiles towards the Russian Federation and its allies as well as information about a mass launch of strategic and tactical aviation aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, hypersonic aerial vehicles and other aerial vehicles and information about their crossing the Russian border.
The updated doctrine expands the category of states and military unions that the nuclear deterrence focuses on. Two items are worth mentioning. First, aggression on the part of any non-nuclear state with the participation or with assistance of a nuclear state will be viewed as a joint offensive. Secondly, aggression against Russia by any state of a military coalition will be viewed as aggression by the entire bloc.
The doctrine lists the threats that necessitate nuclear deterrence on the part of Russia. Such as, for instance, the creation of new military unions or the expansion of existing military unions while moving their military infrastructure closer to Russian borders.
The organization of large-scale military exercises near Russian borders as well as the deployment of antimissile defenses, medium-range and small-range cruise missiles and ballistic missiles by a potential adversary, the deployment of high-precision non-nuclear and hypersonic weapons, strike drones, and directed-energy weapons will also be viewed as a threat.
The document notes that the state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence is a defensive one. If a military conflict is started, the policy is supposed to prevent escalation and terminate combat operations on the terms that are acceptable for Russia.
The use of nuclear weapons has to be authorized by the Russian president.
An object of thorough analysis. What does the Kremlin say?
Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov stated that the text of the basic principles of Russia’s state policy on nuclear deterrence should become an object of deep analysis in Russia and abroad, TASS reports.
“A very important presidential decree has been signed today: an executive order on approving the basic principles of the state policy of the Russian Federation on nuclear deterrence,” Dmitry Peskov said.
“A very important text. Naturally, it should become an object of very deep analysis both in our country and probably abroad… The document is extremely important. Analyze it!” Dmitry Peskov urged.
In his words, the text of the doctrine had to be updated in order to bring the document into compliance with the current political situation. A potential adversary has to understand that retribution for aggression against Russia and its allies is inevitable. Nuclear deterrence is supposed to ensure that.
Dmitry Peskov also stated that the updated doctrine provides for the possibility of a nuclear response if Ukraine uses Western non-nuclear missiles against Russia. “Yes, it mentions that,” he told reporters when asked whether Russia will view the use of Western non-nuclear missiles by Ukraine’s Armed Forces as an element of attack by a non-nuclear state with support of a nuclear power and whether it will trigger the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia.
“Among other things the Russian Federation retains the right to use nuclear weapons in response to aggression using nuclear weapons against Russia and/or the Republic of Belarus as a member state of the Union State [of Belarus and Russia] if the aggression represents a critical threat to their sovereignty or their territorial integrity,” the Kremlin’s representative noted.
Dmitry Peskov drew attention to the doctrine’s clause that says that aggression against the Russian Federation by any non-nuclear state assisted by a nuclear state will be viewed as their joint offensive. “It is a very important paragraph,” the president’s press secretary pointed out.
He also stressed that Russia has always maintained a responsible attitude and takes efforts to reduce nuclear threats and prevent the deterioration of interstate relations.
The first strikes by ATACMS missiles. Is the West starting a new phase of the war?
The West, primarily the United States of America, would do well to analyze Russia’s nuclear doctrine and demonstrate a responsible stance.
The U.S. newspaper The New York Times reported on 17 November that U.S. President Joe Biden authorized Kiev to carry out deep strikes into Russia’s territory using long-range missiles. On 18 November Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that Ukraine’s army carried out a strike against Russia’s Bryansk Oblast using American ATACMS missiles.
TASS quoted the Defense Ministry as saying: “This night at 3:25 the adversary hit a facility in the territory of Bryansk Oblast using six ballistic missiles. According to verified reports, army tactical missiles ATACMS of American make were used. As a result of anti-air engagement crews of air defense missile systems S-400 and anti-air missile and artillery systems Pantsir shot down five missiles and damaged another one.”
The Russian Defense Ministry stressed that the missiles dropped in the technical territory of the military installation in Bryansk Oblast, resulting in a fire that has been extinguished. “It caused no casualties or destruction,” the ministry concluded.
Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov stated that it would have been impossible for Ukraine’s army to fire ATACMS missiles against Bryansk Oblast without Americans. Such strikes represent a signal that the West wants to escalate the situation.
“The multiple uses of ATACMS missiles against Bryansk Oblast this night certainly represent a signal that they want an escalation. And it is impossible to use these high-tech missiles without Americans. Putin has repeatedly talked about it,” TASS quoted Sergey Lavrov as saying.
He stressed that Russia will recognize launches of long-range missiles under control of U.S. military experts as a brand new phase of the war on the part of the West. The Russian minister of foreign affairs said he hopes that the West will read the entirety of Russia’s updated nuclear doctrine. He also stated that Moscow is strictly committed to preventing a nuclear war.
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