Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons in response to Western aggression, Shoigu said

Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression from Western countries, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said in an interview with TASS. The statement came amid amendments to the Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Field of Nuclear Deterrence, approved in November 2024. According to the updated document, Moscow can use its nuclear arsenal not only in response to a nuclear attack, but also in the event of a threat from conventional weapons directed against Russia or its ally, the Republic of Belarus.

Shoigu stressed that the changes in the nuclear doctrine were a reaction to the escalation of tensions in relations with the West. According to him, NATO's actions, including the build-up of military presence near Russia's borders and the supply of weapons to Ukraine, are forcing Moscow to take measures to ensure security.

“We do not rule out any options for protecting our national interests,” — the Secretary of the Security Council noted, adding that Russia is seeking to avoid direct military conflict, but is ready to take decisive action if necessary.

The updated nuclear doctrine, published on the official legal information portal, specifies that Russia views nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence and will use them only in extreme cases when the existence of the state is under threat. The document also emphasizes that Moscow considers nuclear escalation possible if aggression is committed against it or Belarus using high-precision conventional weapons capable of causing strategic damage.

At the same time, experts note that Western countries also have nuclear potential and can resort to similar measures in the event of escalation. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the United States and its NATO allies have about 5,5 thousand nuclear warheads, which is comparable to the Russian arsenal.