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Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 19, 2024 N 991
"On approval of the Fundamentals of the state policy of the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear deterrence"

In order to improve the state policy of the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear deterrence I decree:

1. To approve the attached Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation Federations in the field of nuclear deterrence.
2. To declare invalid the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated June 2, 2020 N 355 "On the Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear deterrence" (Collection of Legislation Russian Federation, 2020, N 23, art. 3623).
3. This Decree shall enter into force on the day of its signing.

President of the Russian Federation V. Putin

Moscow, Kremlin
November 19, 2024
N 991
APPROVED
By Decree of the President
Russian Federation
from November 19, 2024 N 991

Basics
state policy of the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear
containment

I. General Provisions

1. These Fundamentals are a strategic planning document in the field of defense and reflect official views on the essence nuclear deterrence, define military dangers and threats, for the neutralization of which nuclear deterrence is carried out, the principles nuclear deterrence, as well as the conditions for the transition of the Russian Federation to the use of nuclear weapons.

2. Guaranteed deterrence of a potential enemy from aggression against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies is among the highest state priorities. Containment of aggression is ensured by all the totality of the military power of the Russian Federation, including nuclear weapons.

3. State policy of the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear containment (hereinafter referred to as state policy in the field of nuclear containment) is a set of coordinated, united by a common political, military, military-technical plan, diplomatic, economic, informational and other activities carried out with reliance on the forces and means of nuclear deterrence measures to prevent aggression against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies.

4. State policy in the field of nuclear deterrence is defensive in nature, aimed at maintaining the potential of nuclear forces at a level sufficient to ensure nuclear deterrence, and guarantees the protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity states, deterring a potential enemy from aggression against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies, and in the event of military conflict - preventing the escalation of military actions and their termination of the agreements acceptable to the Russian Federation and (or) its allies conditions.

5. The Russian Federation considers nuclear weapons as a means restraint, the use of which is an extreme and necessary measure, and makes all necessary efforts to reduce the nuclear threat and preventing the aggravation of interstate relations, which could provoke military conflicts, including nuclear ones.

6. The normative and legal basis of these Fundamentals consists of the Constitution Russian Federation, generally recognized principles and norms of international rights, international treaties of the Russian Federation, federal constitutional laws, federal laws, other regulatory legal acts and documents regulating issues of defense and security.

7. The provisions of these Fundamentals are binding on all federal government bodies, other government bodies and organizations involved in ensuring nuclear containment.

8. These Fundamentals may be revised depending on external and internal factors influencing the provision of defense.

II. The essence of nuclear deterrence

9. The Russian Federation exercises nuclear deterrence in relation to potential adversary, which means individual states and military coalitions (blocs, alliances) that consider the Russian Federation in as a potential enemy and possessing nuclear and (or) other types of weapons of mass destruction or significant combat potential general-purpose forces. Nuclear deterrence is also carried out in in relation to states that provide the services they control territory, air and/or sea space and resources for preparation and implementation of aggression against the Russian Federation.

10. Aggression by any state from the military coalition (bloc, Union) against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies is considered as aggression of this coalition (bloc, union) as a whole.

11. Aggression against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies parties of any non-nuclear state with the participation or support nuclear state is seen as their joint attack.

12. Nuclear deterrence is aimed at ensuring understanding potential adversary of the inevitability of retribution in case of aggression against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies.

13. Nuclear deterrence is ensured by the presence of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation combat-ready forces and assets capable of by using nuclear weapons, it is guaranteed to cause unacceptable damage damage to a potential enemy in any situation, as well as the readiness and determination of the Russian Federation to use such weapons.

14. Nuclear deterrence is carried out continuously in peacetime, the period of immediate threat of aggression and in wartime, up to the beginning of the use of nuclear weapons.

15. The main military dangers, which, depending on changes in the military-political and strategic situation may escalate in military threats to the Russian Federation (threats of aggression) and for the neutralization of which nuclear deterrence is carried out are:

a) the presence of nuclear and/or other types of weapons in the potential enemy weapons of mass destruction that could be used against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies, as well as the means of delivery of these types of weapons;

b) the presence of systems and deployment by a potential enemy anti-missile defense systems, cruise and medium-range ballistic missiles and shorter-range, high-precision non-nuclear and hypersonic weapons, strike unmanned aerial vehicles of various basings, directed weapons energies that could be used against the Russian Federation;

c) the build-up of potential adversary forces in adjacent areas the Russian Federation and its allies in the territories and adjacent seas waters of general purpose forces groupings, which include means of delivering nuclear weapons and/or military infrastructure, ensuring their application;

d) the creation and deployment of means in space by a potential adversary anti-missile defense and anti-satellite warfare, as well as strike systems;

d) the deployment of nuclear weapons on the territories of non-nuclear states and means of its delivery;

e) the creation of new or expansion of existing military coalitions (blocs, unions), leading to the approximation of their military infrastructure to borders of the Russian Federation;

g) actions of a potential enemy aimed at isolation parts of the territory of the Russian Federation, including blocking access to vital transport communications;

c) actions of a potential enemy aimed at defeat (destruction, annihilation) of ecologically hazardous objects of the Russian Federations that may lead to man-made, environmental or social disasters;

i) planning and implementation by a potential adversary large-scale military exercises near the borders of the Russian Federation;

c) uncontrolled proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, means of delivery, technologies and equipment for their production.

16. The principles of nuclear deterrence are:

a) continuity of activities to ensure nuclear deterrence;

b) adaptability of nuclear deterrence to military dangers and threats;

c) uncertainty for a potential adversary of scale, time and places of possible use of nuclear deterrent forces and means;

d) centralization of state management activities federal executive bodies and organizations participating in ensuring nuclear deterrence;

d) rationality of the structure and composition of nuclear forces and means containment, as well as maintaining them at a level sufficient to carry out set tasks;

e) maintaining constant readiness of the allocated part of forces and resources nuclear deterrence for combat use;

g) centralization of control over the use of nuclear weapons, including located outside the territory of the Russian Federation.

17. The nuclear deterrent forces of the Russian Federation include: land, sea and air based nuclear forces.

III. Conditions for the transition of the Russian Federation to the use of nuclear weapons

18. The Russian Federation reserves the right to use nuclear weapons weapons in response to the use of nuclear and/or nuclear weapons against it and/or its allies. (or) other types of weapons of mass destruction, as well as in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation and (or) the Republic of Belarus as participants Union State with the use of conventional weapons, creating a critical a threat to their sovereignty and/or territorial integrity.

19. The conditions determining the possibility of applying the Nuclear Weapon of the Russian Federation are:

a) receipt of reliable information about the launch of ballistic misssiles, attacking the territory of the Russian Federation and (or) its allies;

b) the use by the enemy of nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction defeats on the territories of the Russian Federation and (or) its allies, military formations and (or) facilities of the Russian Federation, located outside its territory;

c) the enemy's impact on critically important state or military facilities of the Russian Federation, the decommissioning of which will lead to disruption of nuclear retaliatory actions;

d) aggression against the Russian Federation and (or) the Republic Belarus as a member of the Union State with the use of conventional weapons that pose a critical threat to their sovereignty and/or territorial integrity;

d) receipt of reliable information about a massive launch (takeoff) of air and space attack vehicles (strategic aircraft) and tactical aviation, cruise missiles, unmanned, hypersonic and other aircraft) and their crossing of the state border of the Russian Federation.

20. The decision to use nuclear weapons is made by the President of the Russian Federation.

21. The President of the Russian Federation may, if necessary, inform the military-political leadership of other states and (or) international organizations on the readiness of the Russian Federation to use nuclear weapons or about the decision taken to use nuclear weapons weapons, as well as the fact of their use.

IV. Tasks and functions of federal government bodies, others government agencies and organizations for the implementation of state nuclear deterrence policies

22. The President of the Russian Federation carries out general management of state policy in the field of nuclear containment.

23. The Government of the Russian Federation is implementing measures to implementation of economic policies aimed at maintaining and developing means of nuclear deterrence, and also forms and implements external and information policy in the field of nuclear deterrence.

24. The Security Council of the Russian Federation forms the main directions of military policy in the field of nuclear deterrence, as well as coordinates the activities of federal executive bodies authorities and organizations involved in the implementation of the decisions taken by the President Russian Federation decisions concerning the provision of nuclear containment.

25. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation through the General Staff The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carries out direct planning and implementation of organizational and military events character in the field of nuclear deterrence.

26. Other federal executive bodies and organizations participate in the implementation of decisions taken by the President of the Russian Federation, concerning the provision of nuclear deterrence, in accordance with their powers.