Russia to give devastating response to potential aggressor

In case of an attack, Russia will act ‘as the situation demands,’ and its response may be truly devastating, said Konstantin Gavrilov, head of Russia’s delegation to the Vienna talks on military security and arms control.

"On the doctrinal level, we deliberately maintain a certain degree of uncertainty regarding the nature and scope of our possible nuclear response to an aggression. A potential aggressor needs to realize that, if attacked, we reserve the right to act ‘as the situation demands,’ so to speak, and use all our capabilities," reads the transcript of his speech at the 1079th Plenary Meeting of the Forum for Security Cooperation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), published by the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website.

"Russia has clearly designated its "red lines," and we strongly recommend not to cross them. If an adversary decides to infringe upon them, the response may be truly devastating," he added.

According to Gavrilov, Russia will take into account "aggressive actions on the part of the United States and its allies from the North Atlantic alliance, coming against the backdrop of worrisome changes in their military policy and doctrines, including the nuclear component."

"We would like to make it perfectly clear that Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons exclusively in response to the use of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction against the country or its allies and in the case of an aggression involving conventional weapons, if it threatens the very existence of Russia as a state," he said.

In his words, Russia currently has to counter "not just a separate nationalist regime, but a well-coordinated collective West, which uses Ukraine as an instrument for its new-type hybrid war against Russia."

"No wonder that, provided its extensive combat experience, the Russian Armed Forces are currently among the world’s most efficient and experienced armies," Gavrilov added.