Journalists of the publication received from sources in the West 29 secret documents prepared in 2008-2014. These are scenarios of war games and presentations for naval officers, which describe the principles of using nuclear weapons. Experts who have checked the documents believe that they are still relevant to modern Russian military doctrine.
According to the materials, Russia’s Eastern Military District has repeatedly rehearsed an invasion by Chinese troops during war games. In one scenario, the FT writes, Russia is ready to use tactical nuclear weapons against China if the enemy army launches a second wave of offensive.
“This is the first time we have seen such documents in the public domain. They show that the operational threshold for using nuclear weapons is quite low if the desired result cannot be achieved by conventional means,” said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Center for Russia and Eurasia Studies in Berlin.
