There have been no rational actions by the Kremlin lately, and that does not bode well, according to one of the leading experts on Russia’s nuclear weapons.
“I have to be honest, I’m nervous,” Pavel Podvig told The Guardian.
Podvig is an analyst and is conducting a research project on Russian nuclear weapons forces from Geneva.
Among those familiar with the issue, there is universal agreement that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s habit of making threats by referring to Russia’s nuclear arsenal is a sign of weakness and insecurity.
Russia: Nuclear weapons on high alert
On Sunday, Putin announced that he was putting Russia’s nuclear weapons on high alert. It is still unclear what the practical consequences are – whether that means that bombs are loaded on planes, that missiles are put on standby, or that submarines are sent out to sea.
“As I understand the system, one can not physically send orders to fire nuclear weapons in peacetime because the necessary channels are disconnected. What Putin’s order may entail is that you open up that possibility,” Podvig said.
On Monday, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace stated that Britain had not seen any practical changes in the line-up of Russian forces. So far, the United States, Britain, and France have not stated that they are increasing their nuclear preparedness.
Changed doctrine in 2020
Until 2020, Russian nuclear doctrine was that one would only use nuclear weapons “when the state’s existence is in danger,” according to the Financial Times.
A new doctrine in 2020 opened the way for the use of nuclear weapons “to avoid the escalation of military actions and the termination of such actions on conditions that are acceptable to Russia and its allies.”
Russia has somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000 nuclear warheads and is the world’s largest nuclear power force, along with the United States.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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