Putin has updated the nuclear doctrine. What you need to know

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree approving a new nuclear doctrine. It spells out who can be considered a potential adversary and under what conditions nuclear weapons will be used against them. The document was adopted shortly after reports that the US had authorized Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles on Russian territory, although its preparation and discussion had already been underway for several months. What you need to know about the updated nuclear doctrine - in the material of "Izvestia".

What changes have occurred

- The updated nuclear doctrine has been expanded compared to the previous Basics of State Policy in the field of nuclear deterrence, which were adopted in 2020. Thus, the new document states that deterrence is carried out not only against states and blocs that consider the Russian Federation as a potential adversary, but also against those countries that provide their territory for the preparation and implementation of aggression.

- According to the decree, aggression by one member of a military coalition, bloc or alliance against Russia is now considered as aggression by the coalition as a whole. At the same time, aggression by a non-nuclear state supported by a nuclear state is considered as their joint attack with the same further consequences.

Last warning: Putin approves updated nuclear doctrine

Changes in nuclear deterrence policy are dictated by the current political situation

- The new doctrine has a supplemented list of military dangers that nuclear deterrence is designed to neutralize. They now include the creation and expansion of blocks that bring military infrastructure closer to Russia's borders; isolation of part of Russia's territory and blocking access to transportation communications; hitting environmentally dangerous facilities that could lead to man-made, environmental, and social disasters; and planning and conducting military exercises near the borders.

- Among the principles of nuclear deterrence, there has been one replacement. The clause on compliance with international arms control obligations has been replaced by the principle of centralized use of nuclear weapons, including those deployed outside the Russian Federation.

- The grounds under which Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response to aggression by other states have been expanded. Whereas before it was a threat to the very existence of the state, now it is a threat to sovereignty and territorial integrity, not only of Russia, but also of Belarus as a member of the Union State.

- Among the conditions determining the possibility of using nuclear weapons, the defeat of military formations and facilities of the Russian Federation outside its territory has been added, as well as the receipt of reliable information about the takeoff of aerospace attack means (airplanes, cruise missiles, unmanned, hypersonic and other aircraft) and their crossing of the Russian border.

- Previously, four conditions could lead to the use of nuclear weapons. These were an attack by ballistic missiles on Russian territory, the use of nuclear weapons against Moscow, an attack that threatened the existence of the state, or enemy actions against critical facilities that could disrupt the response of Russian nuclear forces.

What the new doctrine will lead to

- Putin spoke about the main changes to the nuclear doctrine back on September 25 at a meeting of the Russian Security Council. At that time, he announced the expansion of the category of states subject to nuclear deterrence and the conditions for the transition to the use of nuclear weapons. The changes have been prepared over the past year by specialists from the Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry and other agencies.

- The main message of the new nuclear doctrine is that Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states that act together with nuclear-weapon states. This includes Ukraine and the NATO bloc, which is made up of three nuclear powers - the United States, Britain and France.

- The adoption of the doctrine is intended to prevent strikes on Russian territory with long-range missiles, the use of which has already been approved by the US. The document should become a "red line" and a warning of possible consequences in case of escalation of the Ukrainian conflict, limiting the decision-making horizon.

- At the same time, the Russian Armed Forces still have non-nuclear ways to repel strikes and neutralize threats from Ukraine and the West. For example, the Russian Defense Ministry has already announced on November 19 that an attack by six U.S. ATACMS missiles on the Bryansk region was repelled without causing any destruction or casualties on the ground.

- A deterrent for the West should also be the fact that if the doctrine is forced to be used, the process of revising the nuclear policy of other countries, including those not involved in the Ukrainian conflict, will start, which will destabilize the situation in other regions and undermine the position of the West. The issue of developing nuclear weapons will also be raised in Iran and Israel, which have not officially declared their existence.

- The doctrine emphasizes that the use of nuclear weapons is an extreme and compulsory measure, and their very existence is necessary precisely to deter aggression against Russia and its allies. The decision to use it will be made taking into account how not only Western countries, but also the Global South, which favors a non-nuclear nature of the conflict in Ukraine, will react to it.

In preparing the material Izvestia talked to:

• political scientist Leonid Krutakov;
• political scientist, Director of the Institute of Politics, Law and Social Development Vladimir Shapovalov.