Russian Nuclear Weapons: Past, Present, and Future

CHAPTER 3
NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN RUSSIAN STRATEGY
AND DOCTRINE
INTRODUCTION
Andrei Shoumikhin
The Russian Federation (RF) remains in possession
of the world’s largest nuclear arsenal. Despite the
elimination of some key foundations of superpower
rivalry, most notably the intense ideological schism
between Communism and Western-type democracies
that sparked and fueled the Cold War, the RF Strategic
Nuclear Forces (SNF) continue to target the United
States and its allies. While the significant disequilibrium
in economic, technological, military, power
projection, and other capabilities between the United
States and the RF continues to expand, Russia remains
the only global power presenting an existential threat
to the United States.
It is not the weapons, but the people possessing
them who kill. Detailed information about the composition,
combat readiness, and procedures of RF SNF
is important. 1 However, understanding the nature of
the Russian political regime, the mentality of Russian
leaders, and the underpinnings of Russian nuclear
strategy as reflected in Russian doctrinal documents
may help assess whether or not that country will ever
resort to the ultimate weapon of destruction.
Soviet and Russian military and nuclear doctrines
reflect the leadership’s threat assessments, perceptions
of the strengths and weaknesses of the military,
national goals and tasks for the military organization
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