Chief of the General Staff: Russia's nuclear policy remains defensive

Russia's nuclear policy is defensive and an element of strategic stability, the chief of Russia's General Staff, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov, told the Moscow International Security Conference on Wednesday.

"Russia's official views on this score were for the first time declared in public in 2020 in the basic principles of Russia's nuclear deterrence policy. The document confirms the provision of the Military Doctrine the nuclear policy is purely defensive," Gerasimov said.

He stressed that nuclear deterrence remained an element of strategic stability.

"Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response to the use of nuclear or other mass destruction weapons against it or its allies, or in case of aggression against Russia with conventional weapons that endangers the very existence of the state," Gerasimov said.

He added that the conditions of using nuclear weapons were strictly limited and codified.