Russia Asserts Nuclear Rights for Territorial Protection
Moscow's recently proposed update to its nuclear strike policy is it exercising its legal right to respond to attacks it views to be an existential threat against its critical infrastructure and population, marking a shift towards an extended deterrence strategy, according to experts.
SputnikPresident Vladimir Putin has proposed significant changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, formally known as the Basic Principles of State Policy on Nuclear Deterrence, emphasising that a nuclear response is an extreme measure to safeguard the nation's sovereignty.
The revised doctrine will interpret aggression from a non-nuclear state against Russia — when it involves support from a nuclear state — as a joint attack. Likewise, reliable intelligence regarding the launch of weaponry toward its territory could justify a nuclear response, marking a shift from a focus on direct attacks to a broader view of threats against its sovereignty and its ally Belarus.
The new doctrine, if approved, would convey a clear message to the West: if long-range weapons supplied by Western countries are used to launch significant attacks on Russian territory — whether from aircraft, drones, or missiles — Russia reserves the right to respond with nuclear weapons, Major General S B Asthana (Retd), Director General at United Service Institution of India (USI), told Sputnik India.
This shift reflects Russia's concern that the involvement of Western-supplied weaponry and operators effectively
brings NATO into direct conflict with the country, according to the military analyst.
Over the past few years Russia has concluded that the nuclear deterrence established in the 2020 doctrine was ineffective, as Western nations continued to support Ukraine and expand eastward, which Russia views as a direct threat to its borders, Asthana mentioned.
Despite initial claims that NATO was not directly involved, Russia recognizes that the alliance has engaged in various forms of warfare — political, diplomatic, informational, cyber, and economic — without direct military contact, he asserted.
The situation escalated when the West began supplying Ukraine with combat assets, including main battle tanks and communication equipment, which altered Russia's threat perception, Asthana noted. He added that, “Russia felt compelled to revise its doctrine to ensure a more effective nuclear deterrent against Western involvement in what it considers a proxy war.”
As tensions rise, Russia will modernise its arsenals, potentially increase its military budget, and maintain part of its nuclear forces on alert, especially in light of its withdrawal from the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), Dr Rajiv Nayan, a senior research associate at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), told Sputnik India.
Although these developments are long-term, diplomatic exchanges and military posturing will continue, the expert said, noting “with Russia specifically redefining the concept of collective security to include responses to aggression by non-nuclear states supported by nuclear ones.”
Previously, alliances with nations like China, Pakistan, North Korea, Iran, and Saudi Arabia primarily focused on capacity building without direct military involvement, he asserted.
However, according to Nayan, “Russia is redefining these relationships to suggest that any support in
conflict makes suppliers parties to the war, thus holding them accountable for any damage inflicted.”
The frequent drone and cruise missile attacks on its borders have further exacerbated this stance, as these incursions threaten its infrastructure and provoke strong responses, Nayan pointed out.
The key change proposed to the doctrine “is the inclusion of arms suppliers as adversaries, the expert highlighted.
This review reflects Russia's altered threat perceptions due to recent events in the Ukraine conflict, particularly Kiev's threats of missile strikes on Russia, indicating that Russia sees nuclear weapons as military tools rather than political instruments, Dr Sameer Patil, director of the Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology at the Observer Research Foundation, told Sputnik India.
Russia Seeks Stability Amid Ukraine Conflict
Patil noted that Russia is clearly communicating its readiness to defend its territorial sovereignty, but how the West interprets this message will depend on whether it considers it a credible threat.
Russia is emphasising the need to consider NATO's role in the context of potential threats, particularly regarding credible information about the launch of strategic aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, or hypersonic weapons toward its territory, Dr Roshan Khanijo, assistant director of research at the United Service Institution of India, told Sputnik India.
This concern is amplified by discussions between Ukraine and the US about long-range missile support, leading Russia to reinforce its stance that any long-range attacks on its mainland could justify a nuclear response, according to Khanijo.
To counter the perceived threats, Russia has shifted its nuclear posture from no first use to a potential first use and has reportedly deployed
tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, she added.
Overall, Khanijo mentioned that Russia aims to stabilise the situation by preventing the conflict with Ukraine from escalating further due to external involvement, particularly from NATO and other countries.
This new nuclear doctrine suggests that the Russians are lowering their thresholds, which means the West must avoid further escalation, she concluded.