Russia ramps up nuclear readiness amid doctrine shift

The Baza channel reports that civil defence and nuclear and chemical decontamination exercises were conducted in several regions of Russia.

The exercises took place in Anapa, Ulyanovsk, Kogalym, Buzuluk, Snezhinsk, and other smaller towns.

"The greatest focus was on eliminating the effects of chemical contamination. The training was introduced with a scenario of an enemy conducting a nuclear airstrike on infrastructure facilities," reports Baza.

Last Wednesday, Russia also conducted a test of public warning systems. The exercises were held, among other places, in Khimki, Omsk, Perm, and Samara.

On 25 September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia is changing its nuclear doctrine and significantly expanding the list of reasons for using nuclear weapons. The document specifically includes a clause stating that aggression by any state with nuclear energy support will be considered a joint attack on Russia.

Putin also proposed adding to the doctrine the possibility of using nuclear weapons in case of receiving "credible information" about massive launches of cruise missiles and drones against targets in the country.

The changes were announced against the backdrop of information that Ukraine may receive approval to use Western missiles to strike deep into Russia. The Kremlin stated that the amendments could be seen as a specific signal for Kyiv's allies, warning "of the consequences of participating in an attack" on the Russian Federation "by various means, not necessarily nuclear ones."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for condemning Putin's nuclear rhetoric and described the doctrinal changes as "the height of irresponsibility". Similar statements were made by the EU's foreign policy representative, Peter Stano, who noted that Putin's "unacceptable behaviour", for the first time not playing the nuclear card, shows his "true face" to the whole world.