Putin approved the fundamentals of the nuclear deterrence policy. This is the first time such a decree has been published

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree approving the foundations of the state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence. The document is published on the official portal of legal information. This is the first publication of such a decree - previously all of them were closed.

The document notes that Russia considers nuclear weapons solely as a means of deterrence, and its use is an extreme necessary measure.

The document specifies four conditions under which Russia can use nuclear weapons - the launch of ballistic missiles on the territory of the Russian Federation or its allies, the use of nuclear weapons or other types of weapons of mass destruction by the enemy, the impact on critical state or military facilities and aggression using conventional weapons, which threatens the existence of the Russian Federation as a state.

• The previous decree on the fundamentals of state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence was signed by Dmitry Medvedev in 2010. It was designed for 10 years.