Putin sign new decree making everything nuclear clear for Russia's adversaries

President Putin has approved Russia's updated nuclear doctrine.

Photo: Flickr by Burnt Pineapple Productions, CC0

The document states that Russia implements nuclear deterrence "in relation to a potential enemy," and considers the use of nuclear weapons "an extreme measure."

Putin's decree approving the updated nuclear doctrine comes into force on the day of publication, on November 19, and invalidates the previous decree on Russia's policy in the field of nuclear deterrence.

The doctrine states that Russia's highest state priority is to deter a potential enemy from aggression against Russia and its allies.

It also states that Russia views nuclear weapons as "a means of deterrence, the use of which shall be an extreme and forced measure."

"Russia shall make every effort to reduce the nuclear threat" and try to prevent the aggravation of relations between states that could provoke "military conflicts, including nuclear ones," the document says.

Russia exercises nuclear deterrence "in relation to a potential adversary." The doctrine defines potential adversaries as "individual states and military coalitions (blocs, alliances) that view the Russian Federation as a potential adversary" that have nuclear weapons or "significant combat potential of general-purpose forces."

Acts of aggression carried out by such a state — a member of a bloc or coalition against Russia or its allies — "shall be considered aggression by this coalition (bloc, alliance as a whole)."

The doctrine also states that nuclear deterrence must ensure "that a potential adversary realises the inevitability of retaliation in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies."

In addition, the doctrine separately lists military dangers, which "depending on changes in the military-political and strategic situation may develop into military threats to the Russian Federation", for the neutralisation of which "nuclear deterrence shall be carried out".

Such threats include:

• enemy's possession of weapons of mass destruction that can be used against Russia;
• enemy's possession of missile defence systems, medium- and shorter-range cruise and ballistic missiles, high-precision non-nuclear and hypersonic weapons, drones;
• the build-up of "general-purpose force groups that include nuclear weapon delivery vehicles" near the borders of Russia or of its allies;
• the creation of missile defence and anti-satellite warfare systems in space;
• the deployment of nuclear weapons on the territory of non-nuclear states;
• the creation of new and expansion of old coalitions and military blocs "leading to the approach of their military infrastructure to the borders of the Russian Federation";
• actions of a potential enemy "aimed at isolating part of the territory of the Russian Federation";
• enemy actions that could lead to environmental or social disasters;
• planning and conducting "large-scale military exercises near the borders” of Russia;
• uncontrolled proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Details

The military doctrine of Russia is a strategic planning document of the Russian Federation, representing a system of official state-adopted views on preparation and usage of the Russian Armed Forces. The most recent revision of the military doctrine was approved in 2014. Numerous successive revisions of military doctrine have been promulgated since 1990. These have included the military doctrines of May 1992 (in draft form), November 1993, and January 2000, as well as the two National Security Concepts of December 1997 and October 1999. Military doctrine in the Russian sense, however, extends beyond discussion of potential threats. In Christopher Donnelly's words, it forms part of "a set of views, accepted in a country at a given time, which cover the aims and character of possible war, the preparations of the country and its armed forces for such war, and the methods of waging it."