So in addition to this article, I've talked about Russia using Chemical and Biological attacks, that can kill thousands, then dissipate within a day or two. I don't know how they're going to revamp the guidance on this. It used to be that field commanders had access and discretion over using them. Sarin is especially common for the Russians to use. It's easy to make, fairly safe until the two "stable" fluids are mixed. It's a nerve agent that's usually mixed with a choking agent so you're forced to breathe before you get your equipment on.
Russia has sent a chilling warning to the West, declaring its readiness to defend national interests "to the bitter end" and signaling a potential shift in its nuclear weapons policy. The current Russian nuclear doctrine permits the use of its formidable nuclear arsenal as a countermeasure to a nuclear assault or a conventional attack that threatens Russia's existence.
Yet, with escalating tensions between Russia and Western nations, President Vladimir Putin and his military chiefs are re-evaluating their nuclear strategy. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov indicated that the existing protocols, established in a bygone era, are now obsolete.
Following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin has not shied away from threatening the use of nuclear weapons against Western adversaries. These threats have been echoed by Kremlin mouthpieces, who assert that Russia would readily initiate nuclear catastrophe on the West if pushed.
President Putin has taken the step of deploying nonstrategic atomic weapons to its ally Belarus. He has also declared the suspension of certain Kremlin obligations under the New START Treaty, which limits US and Russian strategic nuclear forces.
Russia, boasting the world's biggest nuclear power, possesses a massive arsenal of weapons ready for deployment. Data from The Federation of American Scientists shows that Russia possesses approximately 4,380 nuclear warheads, with an additional 1,200 retired warheads awaiting dismantlement, as of March 2024.
On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed that the Kremlin had begun updating its nuclear doctrine. Speaking at a briefing, Peskov said: "President Putin has said that work is under way to bring the doctrine into line with current realities."
