Russia has warned that the use of US long-range missiles by Ukraine will lead to “an appropriate and tangible” response.
A statement issued by the foreign ministry said that such an attack inside Russian territory “would represent the direct involvement of the United States and its satellites in hostilities against Russia”
The BBC reports: President Joe Biden approved the use of the missiles on targets in Russia in a major change of US policy – two months before he is due to leave the White House.
It is not clear if his successor, President-elect Donald Trump, was consulted or whether he will stick by the decision, having promised to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ukraine has had US ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) with a range of 300km (190 miles) – as well as French and British Storm Shadow missiles of a similar range – but the Western allies had barred Kyiv from hitting Russia with them.
Biden’s decision to lift that condition is a significant moment in the war, which marks its 1,000th day on Tuesday.
On Tuesday Russian President Vladimir Putin announced critical updates to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, signaling a potential nuclear response to conventional missile strikes.
He emphasized that any attack on Russia, even by non-nuclear nations supported by nuclear-armed states, would be considered a collective assault on the Russian Federation.
The new document lists ten threats that require counteraction through deterrence.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has authorized a new nuclear doctrine which brings into force changes that he first announced in September.
The order was published on Tuesday along with a revised version of the key military document.
The updated doctrine, formally known as “The basics of state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence”, outlines the threats that would make Russia contemplate using such weapons.
It comes just days after President Joe Biden granted Ukraine permission to use US long-range missiles for strikes deep inside Russia.
Putin had previously warned that such an attack would constitute a direct war between NATO and Russia.
RT reports: According to the new doctrine, Russia may use nuclear deterrence to prevent aggression by hostile powers and military blocs that possess weapons of mass destruction or large arsenals of conventional weapons. Countries that provide their sovereign space for other parties to prepare and launch an attack against Russia are subject to the policy as well.
An attack by a single member of a bloc, including one that does not have nuclear weapons, will be considered an attack by the entire collective. The same would apply where a nation that does not formally belong to a military organization is backed by a nuclear power.
Russia’s goal is to make sure that “a potential aggressor realizes that retaliation will be inevitable” if the country were attacked, the doctrine says. Russian military allies will enjoy the same protection.
The document lists ten threats that require counteraction through deterrence, ranging from nuclear arsenals in possession of hostile parties to potential unchecked proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. Other threats include military buildup near Russian borders, the development of anti-ballistic missile systems, deployment of conventional weapon systems that can strike Russian territory, and potential sabotage plots to cause large-scale environmental disasters.
The list of triggers for nuclear retaliation now includes confirmed intelligence about a massive incoming attack using enemy aircraft, missiles and drones, once such weapons cross into Russian airspace.
The president of Russia remains the official making the decision on whether to use the country’s nuclear arsenal. He also has the authority to communicate his intentions and actions regarding such weapons to foreign nations.