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> AFAIU, Russia doesn't have any munitions comparable to these guided artillery shells or even the guided HIMARS rockets. Arguably these deployments in Ukraine
by _kbh_ 4y ago
> AFAIU, Russia doesn't have any munitions comparable to these guided artillery shells or even the guided HIMARS rockets. Arguably these deployments in Ukraine may inch Russia a little closer to resorting to tactical nukes. Their military doctrine relies on tactical nukes as an answer to conventional weapons beyond their own capability, and that's part of the reason Russia has so many tactical nukes deployed (at least at sea).
What, Russias nuclear doctrine is to use nukes against the threatening of their own sovereignty and borders, not against conventional weapons that are better than theres.
What kind of pathetic military has a nuclear doctrine to drop nukes because the other country has modern technology?.
It doesn't matter anyway because Russias nukes are just for sabre rattling, Russia knows full well the any use of nuclear weapons, tactical or not in Ukraine will bring an overwhelming response that will likely just straight up end the war in Ukraines favour.
- tempay 4y agoI think you might be confusing tactical and strategic nuclear weapons. As far as I know strategic weapons are only for protecting their sovereignty and the use of tactical weapons is potentially more flexible.
- _kbh_ 4y ago> I think you might be confusing tactical and strategic nuclear weapons. As far as I know strategic weapons are only for protecting their sovereignty and the use of tactical weapons is potentially more flexible. I don't believe their doctrine makes a distinction, because the rest of the world would not make a huge distinction. Im happy to be wrong thought if you could link a primary source.
- tempay 4y agoI’m only directly aware of speculation with regard to there being a possible distinction such as https://www.bbc.com/news/world-60664169 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-60664169
- _kbh_ 4y agoI don't see that as being a distinction but more Russia just rattling the nuclear sabre. They have been doing it since the start of the war and do it about every single large shipment of weapons to Ukraine. I suspect its mostly for a internal audience but also to make the west scared to send weapons which clearly hasn't worked.
- greedo 4y agoRussia (and before that, the USSR) viewed nuclear weapons as just another form of artillery. The US did as well, between Davey Crockets, SADM, Pershing 2 and GLCM.
- boc 4y agoThe US doesn’t differentiate between those two cases, and thus a “tactical” strike from the Russian pov would lead to a massive escalation. Putin should remember that US doctrine explicitly approves massive nuclear first strikes when a situation appears to be escalating to nuclear conflict. Plus the US actually has thousands of mission-ready nukes and only two cities to hit.