I hesitate to add an opinion on this as I know that multiple generations have been conditioned to believe in MAD. I believe MAD does apply to NATO nations and

I hesitate to add an opinion on this as I know that multiple generations have been conditioned to believe in MAD. I believe MAD does apply to NATO nations and for the most part would reduce the probability that NATO countries might nuke one another. I do not however believe that Russian politicians and military recognize this concept beyond its application to NATO meaning that they would hope we believe in it. There isn't one document I can point to but rather all of their political and war history suggests they would believe a nuclear war can be won and they don't really care if half their population were wiped out. The political elites can hide in bunkers deep under ground for a very long time. They have been preparing for this since at least WWII. Add to this the evolution of smaller, faster more efficient tactical nuclear weapons and HANES EMP weapons would bolster their confidence in winning. I don't really know what winning means given they would be economically destroyed and the surviving civilian population would be starving and sick. I am just looking at this through Russian history tinted glasses.