Putin to strike countries supplying weapons to Ukraine, relaxes N-doctrine

MOSCOW, Nov 22: Without naming the US and the UK which have supplied modern weapons to Ukraine to defend itself against the invasion by Russia, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Moscow has the right to strike military targets of countries whose weapons are used by Ukraine to hit Russian territory. His address was a followup to the day's Oreshnik attack on Dniprov, which was initially said to be an ICBM.

The invasion that began in February 2022 took a new turn last week with Ukraine firing drone missiles at Mosow damaging its airports and other buildings leading to one casualty and several people being injured after Russia, emboldened by Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election, intensified its attack on Ukrainian targets far inside.

Following these incidents and Russia's deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers at Kursk, US President Joe Biden last weekend accepted a long-pending demand of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to allow him to use the latest long-range ATACMS missiles supplied by America.

Provoked by the US approval, Putin revised the nuclear doctrine on Tuesday, just days after the US gave the greenlight. In quick succession, on Thursday Moscow launched the ICBM attack, which has later been explained as a different, new hypersonic missile which travels ten times the speed of sound and is not detected by any interceptor. Putin said in a his elevised address, it was a new intermediate-range ballistic missile called Oreshnik that struck Ukraine's missile factory in Dnipro city. It has a 5,500 km range. Video footage showed multiple warheads hitting different targets.

“A serious moment”

“In response to the use of American and British long-range weaponry" (US' ATACMS and UK-made Storm Shadow missiles), the Russian forces carried out the strike on a Ukraine military site, Dnipro, Putin said.

UK's Defence Secretary John Healey described the situation as . “a serious moment” while the US did not appear concerned.

According to the new nuclear policy, Russia will attack even non-nuclear countries with nuclear weapons if its territory comes under fire. It will even target the source countries of those weapons used, meaning the US and the UK, even if those weapons used are conventional.

Zelensky had said Russia had launched a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones in a large-scale attack across Ukraine and that is why US approved use of ATACMS. The Biden administration's decision followed months of pleading from Ukraine and warnings of dire consequences from Moscow.

Referring to the change in Russia’s nuclear doctrine, observers have commented that Russia will use nuclear weapons whenever the President decides to do so. ”He is the man to do it. Has all the powers. Putin’s unpredictable nature is worrisome."

“Russia’s new nuclear doctrine means NATO missiles fired against our country could be deemed an attack by the bloc on Russia,” former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, said. “Russia could retaliate ... "That means World War III,” Medvedev said.

Meanwhile, analysts said on Wednesday that the change to Russia's nuclear doctrine is only a an effort to deter the West. Kyiv’s allies in Europe are not worried either.

'Is dangerous behaviour”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters in Brazil on Tuesday that “irresponsible rhetoric coming from Russia is not going to deter our support for Ukraine.” So also French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, “we are not intimidated.” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the Putin announcement lowering the nuclear threshod "is dangerous behavior.”

In September soon after Biden met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Putin had warned that there would be a war with the US and allies if they allowed Ukraine to use Western weapons. On the other hand, both UK and US leaders expressed "deep concern about Iran and North Korea’s provision of lethal weapons to Russia."

Kyiv has permission to use Western long-range weapons such as American ATACMS and British Storm Shadows to strike Russian border territory only if attacked.

Biden has bipartisan Congressional support in allowing Ukraine to use the controversial weapons.

In August last following an Ukraine attack on Russia's western Kursk region also, Russia had warned the West against allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with foreign-supplied missiles. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cautioned the US of a World War Three. However, the US had denied any role in the Kursk attack when Moscow said British tanks and US rocket systems were used. Kyiv confirmed using US HIMARS missiles.

Since the invasion began in February 2022, Putin has warned the West several times of an escalation of the war.

Russia's 2020 nuclear doctrine had stated that Moscow will use a nuclear weapon only as a response to an attack that is nuclear or conventional and "the very existence of the State is put under threat".