Why is Russia changing its nuclear doctrine amid the Ukraine war?

Russia’s nuclear threats over the course of the war are a tactic to contain US involvement in Ukraine, experts say.

Russia is amending its doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons as a response to perceived Western involvement in the Ukraine war, its Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying on Sunday.

The comments came at a time when Russia is battling an incursion into its Kursk region by Ukrainian troops and amid growing attacks on Russian territory by Kyiv using Western weapons.

So what exactly is Russia’s nuclear doctrine, how big is its arsenal, what might change, and are others changing their policies too?

Minister Ryabkov said the decision to change the nuclear doctrine is “connected with the escalation course of our Western adversaries”.

In late August, Ukraine confirmed it had used weapons supplied by the United States in its Kursk incursion.