Leaked documents show Putin's limited use of nuclear weapons
Secret documents show how quickly Russia could resort to tactical nuclear weapons. The Financial Times exposed the explosive military strategy.
Russian Armed Forces documents reveal how quickly Vladimir Putin (pictured with young cadets) will use nuclear weapons.
Photo: A.P
British newspaper The Financial Times (FT) revealed it on Wednesday Russia would resort to tactical nukes early in a conflict. The revelation is based on classified Russian documents created between 2008 and 2014.
The newspaper obtained “29 Russian military files” from “Western sources”. The documents contain “scenarios of a hypothetical invasion by China” on Russia's eastern border and reveal details of Russian doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons. FT's conclusion: Russia's range of tactical nuclear weapons use is “less than Russia has publicly acknowledged.”
The newspaper writes that Russia's military doctrine specifically favors “the use of tactical nuclear weapons in the early stages of conflict with major world powers.” The criteria for using nuclear weapons varied from an enemy invasion of Russian territory to the destruction of 20 percent of the Russian Armed Forces' nuclear-armed strategic submarines.
The documents also include several scenarios for the use of nuclear weapons: whether it is to stop an escalation of a conflict, to limit a state's ability to invade, or to prevent Russian troops from losing a war.
China's primary pessimism
According to the FT, the documents reveal a “deep-rooted mistrust of China among the Russian security elite” even as Russian President Vladimir Putin began building an alliance with Beijing in 2001, including an agreement to ban the first use of nuclear weapons.
How long will his fuse last if the situation is almost hopeless? Vladimir Putin speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting in Beijing, October 2023.
Photo: EPA/Keystone
In the following years, Russia and China have deepened their partnership, especially since Xi Jinping took power in Beijing in 2012. The war in Ukraine cemented the relationship and underscored Russia's status as China's junior partner — providing Moscow with an important economic lifeline to fend off Chinese sanctions.
Although the files obtained by the Financial Times go back more than ten years, experts interviewed by the newspaper believe the contents are still relevant within the framework of Russian military doctrine.
Red/Neck
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