Global Security Newswire

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev could ink his nation's new nuclear weapons doctrine before the end of the year, Russia Today reported Friday (see GSN, Nov. 18).

A draft of the doctrine would permit Moscow to carry out a pre-emptive nuclear attack, Gazeta.ru reported.

Even if it permitted a nuclear first strike, the revised strategy would remain focused on defense, said Viktor Ozerov, chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s Defense and Security Committee.

“Our doctrine is defensive, but this does not mean it is not active,” Ozerov said.

Russia would reserve the right to use nuclear weapons when "a real threat to the existence of the state emerges," said Russian National Security Council Deputy Secretary Yuri Baluyevsky.

Amendments to the document could be considered as early as Friday, Gazeta.ru reported (Russia Today, Dec. 18). Baluyevsky, though, said "there will be no amendments to the essence of the draft doctrine."

The document would call for Russia to retain its triad of strategic nuclear weapons deployed by air, land and sea, Baluyevsky added, according to Interfax (Interfax I, Dec. 17).

Russia's nuclear arsenal would serve a deterrent role in times of peace, said Russian strategic missile forces commander Gen. Andrei Shvaichenko. In a nuclear conflict, multiple waves of nuclear missiles could be used to target an antagonist's military and economic holdings, he said (Interfax II, Dec. 17).

"While they have never been used to their direct purpose as a military force throughout their 50-year history, the [Russian strategic missile forces] were visibly present, together with other elements of the strategic nuclear forces in resolving many military political problems," Shvaichenko said.

"(Today) one must take into account the occurring geopolitical and geostrategic changes that are not in Russia's favor," the officer said. "In the future, it cannot be ruled out that Russia, being a nation with unlimited natural reserves and resources could become a target of a large-scale military aggression" (Interfax III, Dec. 17).