Putin’s war playbook for unleashing nuclear weapons leaked

Russia military documents outline scenarios in which nuclear tactical weapons would be deployed (Picture: EPA/Getty)

Classified papers leaked straight from Vladimir Putin’s war playbook show his threshold for unleashing nuclear weapons is ‘pretty low’.

‘Would Russia’s president press the nuclear button?’, this question that has been asked ever since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Hardliners inside the Kremlin – starting with former president Dmitry Medvedev – have been methodical in their threats to the West.

Now military documents, seen by the Financial Times, describe the threshold for using tactical nuclear weapons as lower than Russia has ever publicly admitted.

‘This is the first time that we have seen documents like this reported in the public domain,’ said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin.

‘They show that the operational threshold for using nuclear weapons is pretty low if the desired result can’t be achieved through conventional means.’

Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose during their meeting in Beijing, on February 4, 2022 (Picture: AFP)

Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons are designed for use on the battlefield in Europe and Asia.

They have a more limited range compared to the strategic nuclear weapons which could reach the US for example.

The files drawn up between 2008 and 2014 include scenarios for war-gaming and presentations for naval officers, which discuss operating principles for the use of such weapons.

Although the files date back 10 years or more, it is claimed they remain relevant to current Russian military doctrine.

One possible scenario shows a response could be triggered by an enemy entering Russia’s territory.

The Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is launched from Plesetsk in Russia’s northwest in 2022 (Picture: AP)

Another trigger would be the obliteration of 20 per cent of the Kremlin’s strategic ballistic missile submarines.

The destruction of three or more large surface warships, three airfields, or 30% of its nuclear-powered attack submarines are also listed as potential conditions for a strike.

China and Russia may now enjoy a strategic partnership, but the documents also prove a distrust of Xi’s regime.

A hypothetical attack by China could see Russia respond with a tactical nuclear strike in order to stop ‘the South’ from advancing with a second wave of invading forces.

‘The order has been given by the commander-in-chief… to use nuclear weapons… in the event the enemy deploys second-echelon units and the South threatens to attack further in the direction of the main strike,’ the document said.

Putin’s spokesperson addressed the leak on Wednesday: ‘The main thing is that the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons is absolutely transparent and is spelled out in the doctrine.

‘As for the documents mentioned, we strongly doubt their authenticity.’

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