Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 355 dated June 2, 2020 “On the Fundamentals of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear deterrence”
June 3, 2020
In order to ensure the implementation of the state policy of the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear deterrence, I decree:
1. To approve the attached Fundamentals of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Field of nuclear Deterrence.
2. This Decree comes into force from the date of its signing.
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin
Moscow, Kremlin
June 2, 2020
№ 355
APPROVED
By Presidential Decree
Of the Russian Federation
dated June 2, 2020 N 355
The basics
State policy of the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear deterrence
I. General provisions
1. These Fundamentals are a document of strategic planning in the field of defense and reflect official views on the essence of nuclear deterrence, define military dangers and threats for the neutralization of which nuclear deterrence is carried out, the principles of nuclear deterrence, as well as the conditions for the transition of the Russian Federation to the use of nuclear weapons.
2. Guaranteed deterrence of a potential enemy from aggression against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies is among the highest state priorities. Deterrence of aggression is ensured by the totality of the military power of the Russian Federation, including nuclear weapons.
3. The State policy of the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear deterrence (hereinafter - the state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence) is a set of coordinated, united by a common plan political, military, military-technical, diplomatic, economic, informational and other measures carried out based on the forces and means of nuclear deterrence to prevent aggression against the Russian Federation. Federation and (or) its allies.
4. The state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence is defensive in nature, is aimed at maintaining the potential of nuclear forces at a level sufficient to ensure nuclear deterrence, and guarantees the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state, deterring a potential enemy from aggression against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies, and in the event of a military conflict - preventing escalation military operations and their termination on conditions acceptable to the Russian Federation and (or) its allies.
5. The Russian Federation considers nuclear weapons exclusively as a means of deterrence, the use of which is an extreme and forced measure, and takes all necessary efforts to reduce the nuclear threat and prevent the aggravation of interstate relations that could provoke military conflicts, including nuclear ones.
6. The legal framework of these Foundations consists of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, generally recognized principles and norms of international law, international treaties of the Russian Federation in the field of defense and arms control, federal constitutional laws, federal laws, other regulatory legal acts and documents regulating defense and security issues.
7. The provisions of these Fundamentals are mandatory for all federal state authorities, other state bodies and organizations involved in ensuring nuclear deterrence.
8. These Fundamentals may be refined depending on external and internal factors affecting the provision of defense.
II. The essence of nuclear deterrence
9. Nuclear deterrence is aimed at ensuring that a potential adversary understands the inevitability of retaliation in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies.
10. Nuclear deterrence is ensured by the presence in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation of combat-ready forces and means capable of using nuclear weapons to cause unacceptable damage to a potential enemy in any situation, as well as the readiness and determination of the Russian Federation to use such weapons.
11. Nuclear deterrence is carried out continuously in peacetime, during the immediate threat of aggression and in wartime, up to the beginning of the use of nuclear weapons.
12. The main military dangers, which, depending on changes in the military-political and strategic situation, may develop into military threats to the Russian Federation (threats of aggression) and for the neutralization of which nuclear deterrence is carried out, are:
a) the buildup by a potential enemy in the territories adjacent to the Russian Federation and its allies and in adjacent sea areas of groups of general-purpose forces, which include means of delivering nuclear weapons;
b) deployment by States that consider the Russian Federation as a potential enemy of missile defense systems and means, cruise and ballistic missiles of medium and shorter range, high-precision non-nuclear and hypersonic weapons, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, directed energy weapons;
c) creation and deployment of anti-missile defense and strike systems in space;
d) the States have nuclear weapons and (or) other types of weapons of mass destruction that can be used against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies, as well as means of delivery of these weapons;
e) uncontrolled proliferation of nuclear weapons, their means of delivery, technologies and equipment for their manufacture;
(e) The deployment of nuclear weapons and their means of delivery on the territories of non-nuclear States.
13. The Russian Federation exercises nuclear deterrence against individual States and military coalitions (blocs, alliances) that consider the Russian Federation as a potential enemy and possess nuclear weapons and (or) other types of weapons of mass destruction or a significant combat potential of general-purpose forces.
14. When implementing nuclear deterrence, the Russian Federation takes into account the deployment by a potential enemy on the territories of other States of offensive means (cruise and ballistic missiles, hypersonic aircraft, attack unmanned aerial vehicles), directed energy weapons, missile defense, nuclear missile strike warnings, nuclear weapons and (or) other types of weapons mass destruction, which can be used against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies.
15. The principles of nuclear deterrence are:
(a) Compliance with international arms control obligations;
b) continuity of measures to ensure nuclear deterrence;
c) adaptability of nuclear deterrence to military threats;
d) uncertainty for a potential adversary of the scale, time and place of the possible use of nuclear deterrence forces and means;
e) centralization of state management of the activities of federal executive authorities and organizations involved in ensuring nuclear deterrence;
(e) Rationality of the structure and composition of nuclear deterrence forces and means, as well as their maintenance at a level minimally sufficient to fulfill the assigned tasks;
g) maintaining the constant readiness of the allocated part of the forces and means of nuclear deterrence for combat use.
16. The nuclear deterrence forces of the Russian Federation include land-based, sea-based and air-based nuclear forces.
III. Conditions for the transition of the Russian Federation to the use of nuclear weapons
17. The Russian Federation reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response to the use of nuclear weapons and other types of weapons of mass destruction against it and (or) its allies, as well as in the case of aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons, when the very existence of the State is threatened.
18. The decision on the use of nuclear weapons is made by the President of the Russian Federation.
19. The conditions determining the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons by the Russian Federation are:
a) receipt of reliable information about the launch of ballistic missiles attacking the territories of the Russian Federation and (or) its allies;
b) the use by the enemy of nuclear weapons or other types of weapons of mass destruction on the territories of the Russian Federation and (or) its allies;
c) the enemy's impact on critically important state or military facilities of the Russian Federation, the disabling of which will lead to the disruption of the response actions of the nuclear forces;
d) aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons, when the very existence of the state is threatened.
20. The President of the Russian Federation may, if necessary, inform the military and political leadership of other states and (or) international organizations about the readiness of the Russian Federation to use nuclear weapons or about the decision taken on the use of nuclear weapons, as well as about the fact of its use.
IV. Tasks and functions of federal state authorities, other state bodies and organizations on implementation of the state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence
21. The general management of the state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence is carried out by the President of the Russian Federation.
22. The Government of the Russian Federation implements measures to implement economic policy aimed at maintaining and developing nuclear deterrence, as well as forms and implements foreign and information policy in the field of nuclear deterrence.
23. The Security Council of the Russian Federation forms the main directions of military policy in the field of nuclear deterrence, and also coordinates the activities of federal executive authorities and organizations involved in the implementation of decisions adopted by the President of the Russian Federation concerning the provision of nuclear deterrence.
24. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, through the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, carries out direct planning and implementation of organizational and military measures in the field of nuclear deterrence.
25. Other federal executive authorities and organizations participate in the implementation of decisions adopted by the President of the Russian Federation concerning the provision of nuclear deterrence, in accordance with their powers.
Document overview
The President approved the fundamentals of state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence, in which:
- the official views on the essence of nuclear deterrence are outlined;
- military dangers and threats have been identified, for the neutralization of which nuclear deterrence is carried out;
- the principles of nuclear deterrence are outlined;
- the conditions for the transition of the Russian Federation to the use of nuclear weapons have been established.
The state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence is defensive in nature. It is aimed at protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state, deterring a potential enemy from aggression against Russia and its allies, and in the event of a military conflict - at preventing the escalation of hostilities and their termination on acceptable terms for the Russian Federation and its allies.
The decision on the use of nuclear weapons is made by the President of the Russian Federation.
The decree comes into force from the date of signing.
Substation "Sknilov-transit" — 49.829456, 23.945272
brought prosperity even to the smallest, vibrant Ukrainian village.
