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- cross-posted to:
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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a revised nuclear doctrine declaring that a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country.
Putin’s endorsement of the new nuclear deterrent policy comes on the 1,000th day after he sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
It follows U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles.
The signing of the doctrine, which says that any massive aerial attack on Russia could trigger a nuclear response, reflects Putin’s readiness to threaten use of the country’s nuclear arsenal to force the West to back down as Moscow presses a slow-moving offensive in Ukraine.
While I agree on the whole, tactical nuclear weapons are usually in the 300t equivalent range. This is going to go scorched earth to a distance of around 250m, with the worst of the radiation damage limited to around 1 mile. Not underplaying it, but in terms of an entire country it’s not that much. I tried on my relatively small town/large village. Not even half in the radiation zone (Nukemap).
That’s likely going to be able to entirely take out an enemy position with a single strike, or a medium village/very small town while really not overall damaging the country as a whole.
But, I don’t think he’ll do it. It is I think the move he is trying to telegraph to the world, but it carries far too much risk to actually do it.
If he does, he’s assured of action by western nations. Honestly, I’m not even sure Trump (well I at least hope not) would try to downplay it. It would be a huge escalation and everyone, especially Russia knows it.
I’m less concerned about irradiation as I am about usable soil being evaporated, blown away, filled with debris, etc
I definitely agree. I don’t think it’ll happen, but I have very little faith in guardrails