Publication

This memo discusses how various factions of the Russian strategic community perceive non-strategic nuclear weapons. It investigates their role in national security, their potential use, and their modernization paths. The article argues that the set of Russian ideas pertaining to regional nuclear deterrence (RND) is detached from the arsenal which should supposedly support it. Th authors notes that this disconnect can be traced to uncoordinated national security priorities and threat perceptions, producing a chronic inconsistency between official nuclear policies, theoretical nuclear thinking, and actual practice on the ground.