Russia is implementing enhanced security measures to protect its nuclear power plants against potential military attacks, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev announced on Wednesday. He acknowledged the vulnerability of Russian nuclear facilities while emphasising that Russia is also safeguarding Europe from the potential fallout of such attacks.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the actions of the “collective West” have prompted Russia to reconsider its nuclear doctrine, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. On Wednesday, Peskov confirmed that revisions to the policy outlining the circumstances for Russia’s use of nuclear weapons are underway, although specific details have yet to be disclosed.
The current doctrine, established by President Vladimir Putin in 2020, permits the use of nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear strike by an adversary or a conventional attack that threatens the state’s existence. The upcoming revisions, Peskov noted, are driven by challenges and threats posed by Western nations, including the potential use of US-supplied long-range weapons by Ukraine against targets deep within Russian territory.
Peskov highlighted the likelihood of Ukrainian forces utilising Western weapons for attacks on Russian soil, which Moscow is taking into serious consideration. Ukraine has repeatedly called on its allies to allow strikes deep into enemy territory, a demand that has gained urgency as Russia intensifies its airstrikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian areas.
On Tuesday, a Russian missile strike on a military institute in Poltava, central Ukraine, resulted in at least 50 deaths and 271 injuries, making it the deadliest single attack of the year. Additionally, a Russian air attack on the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, near the Polish border, killed three people, injured over 30, and caused significant damage to historic buildings. Among the casualties was a 14-year-old girl, while five children were among the injured.
The recent escalation in Russian attacks has prompted neighbouring Poland to scramble its aircraft for the third time in eight days to secure its airspace. Russia has yet to comment on the attacks in Poltava, Lviv, and Kyiv but has previously stated that its strikes target Ukraine’s military, energy, and transport infrastructure, not civilians.