Russia’s ‘criteria’ for nuclear attack was revealed after targets in UK and US were ‘leaked’

A list outlining Russia's 'criteria' for launching a nuclear missile has resurfaced online following increasing tensions between NATO and the Kremlin.

Vladimir Putin's hopes of finding a favourable end to his nation's invasion of Ukraine appeared to be dead in the water earlier this week, as US President Donald Trump spoke favourably of the besieged Eastern European country, as well as voicing his approval for NATO members being able to shoot down Russian jets which stray into their airspace.

The response from the Kremlin has so far been rather restrained, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov calling Trump's comments 'mistaken'.

"The assertion that Ukraine can win back something by fighting is mistaken," Peskov added to reporters (via BBC).

However, the mere thought of relations further cooling between Moscow and the West will doubtless set off alarm bells for many.

The criteria of course centres around perceived threats to Russia and its territory (Getty Stock Images)

After all, threatening nuclear destruction appears to be a tried and true method used by Russia's propagandists.

True to form, one Kremlin ally suggested that Russia should aim its missiles at the cities of Oxford and Cambridge. This threat is, of course, the latest in a long line of many made against targets across the UK, the US and across the world.

As for the threshold needed for Putin to press the big red button, we don't have to speculate too much about that either, as 'leaked military files' revealed the scenarios in which Russia would be willing to escalate a nuclear conflict.

What circumstances would lead Russia to carry out a nuclear attack?

According to a report published by the Financial Times back in 2024, the threshold at which Russia would feel a nuclear attack would be justified is lower than what is officially on record.

These include:

• An enemy nation invading Russian territory
• Imminent enemy attack using conventional (non-nuclear) weapons
• The defeat of military units responsible for securing Russia's borders
• 20 per cent of Russia’s strategic ballistic missile submarines being destroyed

Russia is also said to have a list of targets in the event of a nuclear attack (DMITRY ERMOLENKO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Putin has previously suggested two scenarios for a nuclear attack. These are: retaliation against a nuclear strike from an enemy or threats to the 'very existence of Russia'.

"This is the first time that we have seen documents like this reported in the public domain," Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre in Berlin, told the outlet.

"They show that the operational threshold for using nuclear weapons is pretty low if the desired result can’t be achieved through conventional means."

How many nuclear weapons does Russia have?

According to statistics shared by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, of the nine countries that possess nuclear weapons, Russia has the largest stockpile, with approximately 5,500 nuclear warheads.

Of these warheads, around 4,309 are believed to be active.