The Kremlin has announced an updated nuclear doctrine, warning that nuclear retaliation could follow attacks on Russian territory using Western-supplied weapons.
The declaration came hours after reports of Ukraine’s first use of American Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) in a strike near Karachev, a Russian city 80 miles from the Ukrainian border.
President Vladimir Putin approved the revision on the 1000th day of the war, lowering the threshold for nuclear action. The updated policy allows for a nuclear response not only to existential threats but also to aggression that critically endangers Russia’s sovereignty or territorial integrity. Notably, it now includes conventional missile or drone attacks by non-nuclear states supported by nuclear-armed allies.
The revised doctrine also defines attacks by any coalition member state as aggression from the entire coalition, significantly expanding triggers for potential nuclear retaliation. This marks a departure from Russia’s 2020 nuclear policy, which was limited to more extreme scenarios.
The timing of the announcement coincides with the U.S. relaxing restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons, signalling heightened tensions. Ukrainian forces argue that such weapons are critical to disrupting Russia’s supply lines, targeting arms depots and air bases. However, reports suggest Moscow has already moved key military assets beyond the range of these missiles.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed speculation about the doctrine’s timing, stating it was updated earlier this year to align with “current realities.”
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