Russia’s Shift with the Policy of Nuclear Retaliation

• According to the article published in ‘Kransnaya Zvezda’, the official military newspaper of the Russian Ministry of Defense on Friday, Russia will perceive any incoming ballistic missile to its territory as a nuclear attack. It will now use a free hand to offer nuclear retaliation even against the missiles with conventional warheads. It underlines Russia’s important shift in policy of Nuclear Retaliation against conventional missiles.

• The article indirectly indicates towards the USA who is working to develop a long-range non-nuclear-weapon system. It also affirms that the shift was necessary to step to counter such long-range weapon systems as they have the potential to eliminate Russian key military assets and other vital installations on Russian soil.

• The senior military officials of Russia points out that there will be no way to identify that an incoming ballistic missile is fitted with which warhead, nuclear or conventional one. That is why they will perceive it as a nuclear attack.

• The shift in Russia’s nuclear policy also underlines that Russia could use its N-arsenal if it receives ‘reliable information’ about the launch of ballistic missiles targeting the Russian Territory or its allies. The articles underline the warning to its adversaries that the retaliatory measures will be of enormous destruction.

• As per the Russian released document ‘On Basic Principles of State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Deterrence’ released in June 2020, Russia considers the nuclear weapons exclusively as a means of deterrence. It further underlines that Russia’s Nuclear Policy is defensive by nature.

• Many experts see the Russian move as the potential action to influence the emerging post corona geopolitical scenario. It possibly can lead the world to a new nuclear arms race to maintain the balance of power and its complementary tensions in the world order as we experienced in the cold war era.

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