A nuclear war cannot be won

Russia is stuck in a cycle of failure in Ukraine. In recent months, Russian troops have been forced to retreat from areas they occupied due to counterattacks by Ukraine, fueled by Western military aid. In response, many see the risk of Russia’s nuclear attack.

In this situation, Russia has moved to risk a nuclear war amid the growing tension in Ukraine. In a statement outlining the risks of nuclear war last Wednesday, the country said nuclear war cannot be won. And so, this fight should never be fought. Indian news agency ANI reported this information in a report last Wednesday.

Russian troops began attacking Ukraine in the early hours of February 24. Russia became the first country in Europe after World War II to attack Ukraine by land, air and sea. In this attack from three directions simultaneously, Russian missiles fell like rain in different cities of Ukraine. Then, last May, Russia announced a nuclear missile attack drill. Thousands of people have been killed and more than 1 crore refugees have lost their homes in this war that lasted for more than eight and a half months. This created the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

Earlier, Russian President Putin signaled Russia’s willingness to deploy strategic nuclear weapons after sending troops into Ukraine in late February. Which was actually considered a threat by many. In addition, in late April, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the threat of nuclear war realistic.

Then, in late September, Russian President Vladimir Putin stepped up his nuclear and anti-Western rhetoric, saying Moscow would use all available means to defend Russia and its occupied Ukrainian territory.

In this situation, the Kremlin said in a statement issued last Wednesday on the prevention of nuclear war, that in working to prevent a nuclear catastrophe, Russia has been strictly and consistently guided by the principle that nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought. The matter is defined with great precision in Russian doctrine.

In a report on Thursday, November 3, 2022, the British media BBC reported that Russia conducted regular nuclear drills last week. In that exercise, the Russian troops are seen carrying out activities like retaliating against the enemy’s nuclear attack with large-scale strategic weapons. However, Russia’s nuclear doctrine allows only the defensive use of nuclear weapons.

On the other hand, on Tuesday, Deputy Head of the Russian Security Council and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev brought forward another element of Russia’s nuclear doctrine. And that is – nuclear weapons can be used in case of existential threat to the state.