Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the West that Russia may use nuclear weapons , if attacked with conventional missiles. He also said that Moscow would consider any attack against the country backed by a nuclear force as a joint attack, Reuters recalls.
Russia's nuclear arsenal
Russia has an estimated 5,580 nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). Of these, about 1,200 are "retired" but still intact, and 4,380 are available for operational forces. Of these, 1,710 strategic warheads are deployed in various ways — of land-based ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles and bombers.
Conditions for the use of nuclear weapons
According to Russia's 2020 nuclear doctrine, nuclear weapons can be used in response to an attack with nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, or in the event of a threat to the existence of the state in a conventional attack. The new doctrine changes announced by Putin include expanding the threats under which Russia can resort to nuclear attack, as well as bringing ally Belarus under Moscow's nuclear umbrella.
Expansion and modernization of nuclear forces
The United States indicated in its 2022 Nuclear Policy Review that Russia and China are expanding and modernizing their nuclear forces. While Russia's nuclear rhetoric raises concerns, the FAS said there are currently no significant changes in Russia's nuclear operations, except for modernization.
Will Russia conduct a nuclear test?
Putin repeated a statement from two days ago that Russia could conduct a nuclear test if the US did it first. In 2022, Russia withdrew from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, although it has not conducted any such tests since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Who makes the decision to go nuclear?
The decision on the use of nuclear weapons in Russia is made only by the president, who has the so-called "nuclear briefcase". It is a communication system that links the president with the military and allows them to issue orders for missile strikes in the event of a threat.