Potential US responses to the Russian use of non-strategic nuclear weapons in Ukraine

By Jeffrey Edmonds | May 16, 2022

A launch of the Russian Iskander-M, which can carry a tactical nuclear warhead, at the Kapustin Yar proving ground in March 2018. Photo credit: the websites (mil.ru, минобороны.рф) of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. A launch of the Russian Iskander-M, which can carry a tactical nuclear warhead, at the Kapustin Yar proving ground in March 2018. Photo credit: the websites (mil.ru, минобороны.рф) of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

When the rhetoric from the Russian political and military leadership turns to the possibility of a war pitting the United States and its NATO allies against Russia, the mention of nuclear weapons is usually close behind. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently raised the nuclear specter over the Ukraine war, insisting that NATO is engaging in a proxy war with Russia. While insisting that Russia seeks to avoid nuclear war at all costs, he warned that the “danger is serious, real, and we must not underestimate it.”

This is double talk typical of Lavrov; through it, he attempts to paint Russia as a responsible actor, even though Russia is the only actor in this war that would consider using nuclear weapons. The Russian leadership has also used nuclear threats to signal its displeasure with the expansion of NATO, suggesting it will deploy nuclear-capable missiles near Finland and Sweden if they join the alliance.

Many of these nuclear threats are signals, meant to politically coerce. But what if Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine to change the apparent negative direction of the Russian invasion there? Four response options seem at least plausible: the West could use a nuclear weapon or weapons against Russian forces, in or outside Ukraine; it could conduct a conventional military attack on Russian forces, in or outside Ukraine; it could continue its current policy of supplying Ukraine with weapons while avoiding direct conflict with the Russian military; or it could press Ukraine to settle the conflict, on terms that give Russia a face-saving out.

Responding in-kind to a Russian nuclear attack and caving to nuclear coercion are clearly unwise, but the other options have risks and uncertainties that make one thing obvious: Russian use of a nuclear weapon or weapons in Ukraine would greatly increase the likelihood of direct NATO-Russia conflict.

Russian nuclear doctrine and the war in Ukraine. So far, the Russian leadership pronouncements about potential nuclear weapons use seem to correspond to well-known Russian nuclear declaratory policy. This policy allows for the use of nuclear weapons should Russia detect ballistic missiles inbound to Russia or its allies, in response to the use of nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction against Russia or attacks against Russian nuclear command and control, and to halt aggression through conventional means that could threaten the “very existence of the state.” Of course, declaratory policy does not, in and of itself, necessarily limit the Russian leadership from using nuclear weapons in other circumstances. Other triggers could include a certain level of economic destruction, the loss of military capability, and the inability to sustain military operations—all of which possibly fall under threats to the very existence of the state, especially if that existence is defined as regime survival.

But one can argue that Russian declaratory policy is really meant to describe conditions for the use of strategic nuclear weapons. If Russia did use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, they would almost certainly be non-strategic nuclear weapons. There are multiple ways to define and understand what constitutes a non-strategic weapon, but the label is often a general reference to shorter-range, lower-yield nuclear weapons—sometimes referred to as tactical nuclear weapons—intended to be employed against theater targets. Russia’s threshold for the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons may be below that of its escalatory policy, given its deep reserve of thousands of non-strategic nuclear weapons and the dual conventional-nuclear capabilities of all its production-line missiles. These realities and Russian military writings suggest a war-fighting role for non-strategic nuclear weapons.

Russian use of non-strategic nuclear weapons in Ukraine could take several forms. They could be used for demonstration purposes—not targeting anything and not creating casualties—to coerce Ukraine and/or the West to agree to a settlement acceptable to Putin. Tactical nukes could be used to target military units to change the operational situation on the ground, although to do so significantly would likely require multiple non-strategic nuclear weapons strikes. Given the level of Russian barbarity and willingness to decimate urban areas, it is also conceivable that they could be used against a city as a form of ultimate coercion.

Regardless of reason, let us assume Russia has used a nuclear weapon in Ukraine. How do the West and the United States in particular react? The emotional noise following the use of a nuclear weapon in Ukraine would be deafening, both in terms of calls for restraint and of demands for retaliation. In many ways, the policy community is divided between those wanting an aggressive approach to the war that seeks to force a strategic defeat on Russia and those who want a more constrained approach to avoid a possible escalation of the conflict and the nuclear implications that go with it. Despite this divide, we can attempt to broadly break down the potential policy areas that cover the gamut of positions open to the United States and NATO, their implications, and their possible consequences.

Responding in kind. In any escalatory move, the first impulse may be to respond in kind. If your adversary moves along the escalation spectrum a notch, then perhaps you should as well, lest you lose the fight for escalation dominance.

The United States and NATO could respond in kind to a Russian use of a non-strategic nuclear weapon or weapons, perhaps via dual-capable aircraft, i.e. those that can carry conventional and nuclear weapons. In such a response, perhaps the most difficult problem involves choosing the target. That choice, of course, will be partly contingent on just what Russia has done.

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In the scenario we are exploring, Russia has used a non-strategic nuclear weapon in Ukraine. To truly be “in-kind” in this scenario, the US and NATO would need to strike Russian targets in Ukraine—or otherwise significantly change the nature of the conflict by striking a target in Russia. There may be Russian military targets in Ukraine for which a low-yield nuclear strike would produce limited casualties. But to have a significant military impact, NATO would likely have to use multiple strikes. However,the potential for lasting impacts and the optic of two nuclear powers carrying out nuclear exchanges on the territory of a non-nuclear state would be politically infeasible. So, it’s probably safe to exclude a Western response in kind, in Ukraine, using tactical nuclear weapons.

Striking a target in Russia with a nuclear weapon, regardless of yield, fundamentally changes the conflict. In this scenario, Russia has not used a nuclear weapon against the United States, NATO, or any country with which the United States has extended nuclear deterrence guarantees. Using a nuclear weapon against Russia immediately turns the conflict into a Russia versus the United States and NATO war that has skipped all the conventional options for escalation management. Given the potential global consequences of a nuclear war between Russia and the United States and NATO, striking targets inside Russia with nuclear weapons is unlikely to be viewed by the US president as a viable option. So the option of a Western response in kind to a Russian use of non-strategic nuclear weapons in Ukraine can probably be set aside, given the targeting and extreme escalation ramifications of a Western use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine or in Russia.

And there is an additional, not insignificant reason to avoid a response in kind: Reinforcement of the norm against using nuclear weapons. By refusing to use nuclear weapons in response to a Russian nuclear attack in Ukraine, the United States and its NATO allies would draw a stark contrast between those who are and are not willing to use nuclear weapons, especially against non-nuclear states.

Conventional response and escalation. Despite the dangers of escalating the Ukraine conflict to a war between NATO and Russia, policy makers have non-nuclear options to respond to Russian use of one or more non-strategic nuclear weapons.

There are several employment options to consider. The first would be conventional strikes against Russian military targets in Ukraine. These could go after Russian units themselves, logistic hubs, or any number of platforms Russia is using to persecute the war. If the Russian use of nuclear weapons targeted Ukraine’s ability to fight, one targeting criteria to consider would be those targets that negate any Russian advantage gained by its use of nuclear weapons. A second option would be to target the platform used by Russia to carry out the strike—a platform that would almost certainly be based inside Russia itself.

It is fair to say that either of these options leads to an expansion of the conflict to one between Russia and the United States and its NATO allies. The fundamental change here is the deliberate targeting of the Russian military by US and NATO platforms. While Ukraine is using US and NATO weapons to kill Russian troops, there is an escalation salient between this and NATO and US forces directly attacking the Russian military. The argument can certainly be made that crossing the conventional-nuclear threshold by Russia against Ukraine warrants the entry of NATO and the United States into the conflict. This would reinforce the view that the use of nuclear weapons in such scenarios, and especially for coercive reasons, is unacceptable. Of course, this would lead to a Russian response against NATO. Despite most of its ground forces being caught in the war in Ukraine, Russia could attempt to strike US and NATO infrastructure both in Europe and the United States, the latter being through land-strike missions from submarines in the Atlantic.

A conventional response against Russian use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine carries with it clear escalatory risks, although lower than those associated with a symmetrical response. However, the impetus for some response would be intense and arguably justified. A conventional response is a viable policy option that seeks to maintain some control over escalation while acknowledging the need to respond.

Staying the Course. In a third type of response, the United States and NATO could stay the course and continue to provide military aid to the Ukrainians without escalating the war with attacks against Russia or Russian military forces. The core of this response is the realization that the current trajectory in the Russia-Ukraine conflict favors Ukraine and that Russia’s use of nuclear weapons is an act of desperation. Russia is losing and the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, whether to stop Ukraine’s military or to coerce Ukraine and the West, seems to be the next only available option for Putin. This policy option attempts to keep the conflict as much confined to Ukraine-Russia as possible while also weakening Russia by continuing to support and enable Ukrainian successes.

A concern in this scenario would be the potential fate of Ukrainian resistance given casualties it would sustain from nuclear strikes.  The United States and NATO could face the possibility that the current level of aid would be insufficient to maintain the Ukrainian Army as a viable fighting force after it has sustained casualties from nuclear strikes. Another concern would be the takeaway Russia and other countries would take from a lack of symmetrical response—namely that nuclear employment works and carries with it less costs than originally thought.

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There are two distinct pathways, among others, that stand out and follow from this scenario. We will call the first “Putin’s Corner.” If the US, NATO, and Ukraine can keep Ukraine in the fight after the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, and the Russian military trajectory continues to be negative, Putin may feel his options are limited even further. Given the commonly held analytic line that Putin believes he cannot afford to lose in Ukraine, one of his last options would be to escalate the Ukraine war into a war with NATO.

At first glance, a decision by Russia to escalate to a Russia-NATO war seems reckless given the current weakened state of Russia’s forces, especially its ground forces. To be clear, the intent would not be to invade a NATO country or carry out an extended war with NATO. Putin’s intent in escalating the war would be to call the bluff of the United States and NATO. Rightfully believing that NATO does not want a war with Russia, Putin would be clearly and openly signaling that a NATO-Russia war is exactly what is about to happen—with all its potential nuclear implications—if NATO, the United States, and Ukraine do not change course. The demands would clearly be a cessation of military aid to Ukraine, Ukraine comes to the negotiating table with neutrality in hand, and the West reduces the economic punishment against the Russian economy.

The second pathway, call it “Putin Emboldened,” sees Putin assessing that the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine carries with it less cost and risk than previously believed and that their use is a viable way to militarily end the conflict. Without an escalatory response, Putin may believe that NATO and the United States are deterred from entering the conflict and that a window is open to use additional non-strategic nuclear weapons, with the goal of destroying Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. Putin essentially comes away from the lack of a symmetrical response believing that NATO’s willingness to use nuclear weapons is less robust than its military posture or doctrine might have otherwise suggested. In thinking about the US and NATO response to “Putin Emboldened,” it is hard to imagine both standing by as Russia repeatedly uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine, and so it is difficult to see this scenario not also leading to a NATO-Russia conflict.

Staying the course entails less confidence in predicting the response by Putin. Whether pushed into a corner or believing nuclear use is less costly, the conflict likely will likely escalate beyond Ukraine. This may be unavoidable to policymakers, given the need to continue assistance to Ukraine and undermine the belief that the use of nuclear weapons, in a scenario like the Ukraine war, is acceptable with little to no costs.

Push for settlement. Given the consequences of a nuclear war between the United States, NATO, and Russia and the risk of escalation beyond Ukraine should the conflict continue, this option argues for ending the conflict in some way that gives the Russian leadership an “out” from the conflict. While seemingly reasonable given the level of destruction and costs of escalation, this option has significant challenges and implications for the international security environment.

The central challenge to this option is the lack of overlapping interests and positions in a negotiated settlement between the Russians and Ukrainians. From the Russian perspective, a negotiated settlement would entail ceasing security cooperation between Ukraine and the United States and NATO, neutrality of Ukraine, and the acceptance of Russian possession of Crimea and the Donbass, along with a host of other security assurances favorable to the Russian government. Given the Ukrainian success in defending their country thus far, this does not seem politically feasible or desirable from the perspective of the Ukrainian leadership.

For the United States and NATO to push the Ukrainian government to negotiate for a position that Ukraine believes is contrary to its core interests, the United States and NATO would need to force the Ukrainian government to the negotiating table by threatening to abandon support for Ukraine. This does not seem politically feasible given the current support and solidarity in the West. But more important, it would signal that nuclear blackmail is effective. Coercion by the United States and NATO against Ukraine to force a negotiated settlement would be tantamount to a 180-degree shift in policy because of Russia’s use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. This would set an extremely dangerous precedent going forward, not only for Russia but for other world actors, especially in the Asian-Pacific, that could see a low cost of using nuclear weapons as an argument for them playing a greater role in pursuing their own geopolitical goals.

If Putin decides to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, it will represent an unparalleled level of barbarity and an eschewing of international norms. It will also present NATO and the United States with complicated policy options, all of which have potential global consequences. I have attempted to lay out a broad framework for potential policy responses. I argue that the two extremes, responding in kind and pushing for a settlement, are unwise given the escalatory risks or potential for establishing destructive and unstable patterns of behavior. The two other options—escalating conventionally against Russia or staying the course—each have their own risks and levels of uncertainty. Except for bending to nuclear coercion, it is difficult to see how Russia’s use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine does not significantly raise the possibility of a conflict between Russia and NATO.


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sedumjoy
sedumjoy
1 year ago

What would the response be. The usual that more countries will want to join NATO. Both sides will then build more bombs, bigger bombs and better bombs. More money will be spent on militarization as usual instead of climate mitagation and the Cold War will go on as usual assuming there is no misundertanding that triggers the use of full scale nuclear war and in that case it will be academic since we will all go extinct. The cleaver scientists who were thinking how to make nuclear chain reactions destructive and design weapons didn’t figure that the know how and… Read more »

BD860
BD860
1 year ago

Re: “Russia is losing and the use of nuclear weapons … seems to be the next only available option for Putin.” Not quite true. Putin thinks long-term, obviously. He can turn the present conflict up or down as necessary and wait for the next US Presidential election, when there is a good chance that a Trump ally, or Trump himself, will be the next President. At that point there will be an administration with entirely different values than the Biden administration – i.e. one much less opposed to authoritarianism. Such an admin will be more inclined to force Ukraine to… Read more »

Barney
Barney
1 year ago

Since this is an article that considers “unthinkable” options, I have one more:

Allow Ukraine to obtain a comparable nuclear weapon or two. In our scenario, the Russians have detonated a “demonstration” weapon, but does that become an empty threat if Ukraine then gains deterrence weapons? Unlike the first two options (“respond in kind”, “conventional response and escalation”), this option (hopefully) keeps the war contained to Russia and Ukraine.

As a state that once had nuclear weapons, it might even be possible to do this in a way that technically doesn’t violate the NPT.

Last edited 1 year ago by Barney
Matthew
1 year ago
Reply to  Barney

This option would surely be the most effective. Deterrence should be universal to ensure there are severe consequences should rogue states such as Russia or North Korea attack with nuclear weapons. If Taiwan had the ability to defend itself with nuclear weapons then perhaps China would less committed to absorbing another neighbouring state.

Lawrence
Lawrence
1 year ago
Reply to  Barney

That would be a very unwise option. Russia has more nuclear warheads that any other country in the world, and if it would get to a point, where Ukraine would have to use nukes on Russia, then Russia has the excuse to completely exterminate Ukraine for defensive reasons. In the long run this is a terrible idea. Also, Ukraine is not going to get nuclear weapons overnight, and if they were preparing to make one that would already be enough of a threat for Russia to escalate. Even if Ukraine did get a nuke overnight, given by another country, then… Read more »

Indrid Cold
Indrid Cold
1 year ago

Who would have imagined that we would be living in times where the first thing I do upon waking, is to check the news to see if a nuke has been used overnight. Yes, it has actually come to this. It is so infuriating when it seems like only yesterday, that Russia and the US had put the tired old ideological arguments aside in favor of making some money. Russia had decades of pent up demand for cars, and big screen TV’S, and Big Macs. The nation began to freely poke fun at, and even openly criticize its political leaders… Read more »

Natalia
Natalia
1 year ago

You spent how much time of your life writing this? What a load of nonsense!

R. Doherty
R. Doherty
1 year ago

The question should be asked, if we have had these weapons for the last 70+ years and have only been used twice. What are the chances given what we know, that another use in inevitable. Not just NATO and RUSSIA, but INDIA and PAKISTAN, or NORTH KOREA. Would CHINA use them. Is it the destination of humanity to go extinct be these weapons, or by other means.

Marco
Marco
1 year ago

I always looked at the nuclear menace like a heritage from the past, something that exists but is highly unlikely. I did not even consider it as grounds for confrontation between US and Russia. But now thinking that it could be possible that someone (nominally Putin) can even consider the use of a nuclear device, even tactical low yeld, gives me chills down my spine. I only hope we (the US and NATO, nominally Biden) would be wise enough avoid to escalate the conflict

Steve
Steve
1 year ago
Reply to  Marco

By arming Ukraine, we’re already escalating the conflict as far as our involvement goes. You can argue it’s escalation with an acceptable risk-to-reward ratio, but it’s definitely escalation. And it’s no more mandatory escalation than assisting Georgia or Chechnya when they were invaded, which of course we did not do, in either case.

Mothman
Mothman
1 year ago
Reply to  Steve

Georgia and Chechnya are tiny countries.
And the US needed Russia to aid or at least stay out of the war on terror.

Ukraine is the ideal partner for dealing with Russia: 40 million highly motivated people and a righteous cause.

All they need is our full support and they can win this.

Marco
Marco
1 year ago
Reply to  Steve

unfortunately I dont see any ground for a ceasefire or agreement. The point is, if west stop to send weapons to Ukraine, would Russia stop the invasion and start to withdraw? I dont think so. Beside, Ukraine can have the weapons, but how many fighter/soldiers che she deploy? I dont think providing weapons and ammunitions is an esclating act … I see it as a way to balance the conflict.

Zeitzeuge777
Zeitzeuge777
1 year ago

“If Putin decides to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, it will represent an unparalleled level of barbarity and an eschewing of international norms.”
Forgot Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Denis Alvarado
Denis Alvarado
1 year ago

We have to ask ourselves what is our end goal and what is better or what’s in our interest. I believe that in the article there’s no mention of peace being the end goal. There are many scenarios put forward but none addresses what is the best for peace. The use of nuclear weapons should be the thing we should all be trying to prevent but just like we failed to prevent the war, we’re failing to prevent the escalation of the war. It seems that we have a policy of fight until the death and that is surely what… Read more »

Mothman
Mothman
1 year ago
Reply to  Denis Alvarado

You don’t bargain with a tiger when your head is in it’s mouth

Mothman
Mothman
1 year ago

Very interesting text. It’s important that Russia pays a heavy price for their actions this time. And if Russia escalates into nuclear war, I believe the response has to be very strong and painful. I believe the “Stay the course” option could be expanded into lethal support of all former Soviet republics. By creating and overtly supporting turmoil and revolutions the West could saturate the Russian military/security apparatus and overload the command structure. This chaos and uncertainty would turn the recent use of nuclear weapons into a real sense of existential fear in Russia’s neighbour states. Who will they nuke… Read more »

Francis
Francis
1 year ago

Had Putin of been eager to use a tactical nuke he would have done so already. Had he of wanted to destroy Kyiv like Mariupol he could of used conventional weapons and “fire bombed” the city much like the US did to Tokyo or the British did to Dresden. If we can avoid destroying ourselves now our world will be quite different by 2050 when the Baby Boomers are largely gone. American and European leaders should be thinking of what to offer Russia to entice them to return to the negotiating table. In the wake of the ban on Russian… Read more »

PaulRipp78
PaulRipp78
1 year ago

I can’t believe this is being discussed rationally. Maybe the millennial internet users don’t fully understand what Russia using tactical nuclear weapons means. maybe I should use my old, 70s/80s brain to help. It means nuclear war. It means humanity back to the stone age, spending the rest of our miserable lives crawling around among broken glass and burning rubble desperately trying to find water for our burnt, dying kids. That’s if we’re lucky. Not just in Ukraine – in London, New York, Moscow, Paris, Gateshead – the whole lot. It’ll be over in an hour. Western pressure is the… Read more »

Ar-Ghost
Ar-Ghost
1 year ago

I believe Putin isn’t that stupid. He knows the last thing he ever does is order a nuclear strike. There is bluster and there is an implicit threat. If enough Russians have had enough, they may stop this themselves.

Chris
Chris
1 year ago

It must be made clear to Russia, both privately and publicly, that any use of nukes by them will be viewed as a direct attack against the US and will be responded to as such by the US.

Beoba888
Beoba888
1 year ago

In this discussion, I think one thing is completely neglected. Nuclear weapons can also be used in space. The ionizing radiation would interrupt satellite communications worldwide for years, and it would not even constitute an alliance case because no country would be directly attacked. But why would Russia do such a thing if its own satellites would also be affected? Quite simply, the weapons supplied by the West rely heavily on satellite data. So if the war were to turn in a direction unfavorable to Russia, this might be the lesser evil for Russia.

jumbowitz
jumbowitz
1 year ago

“Consequential reaction” is what is promised according to Biden on 60 min today. It is important to notice that it still takes time and visible logistic inertia to prep for anything like “shock and awe”, “desert sabre” or any other overwhelming, vertically integrated symmetric conventional reprisal with American tactics. I guess, short of launching nukes at Russia, the US could take out all of Russia’s submarines at once, then jam and disable Russia’s satellite communications, internet infrastructure and more or less decapitate their means to guide international missiles externally. Then, after that, I suppose we could fuel uprisings in the… Read more »

Guido
Guido
1 year ago
Reply to  jumbowitz

Mr. Edwards’ comments were thoughtful and helpful, but I think that there could be other nonlethal, non-nuclear responses the US and the G8 allies could undertake that he hasn’t mentioned.. The current economic pressure on Russia is partial at best: Russia still collects a sizable income from sale of its petroleum on the world market, with the Chinese and Indians remaining major purchasers. If the Russian’s used tactical nuclear weapons, the US and the G8 would have to not only stop all trade and banking with Russia, it would have to prevail upon India and China to do so as… Read more »

Richard8655
Richard8655
1 year ago

I think the US and NATO response would have to be “all in” conventional military involvement in support of Ukraine. No more just sending arms, but actual NATO divisions entering Ukraine to support the government. In addition, a no fly zone established and enforced, something that NATO should have done at the start of the invasion.

Paul Ingram
1 year ago

There is no evidence to suggest that Russia sees tactical nuclear weapons as operating outside of their nuclear doctrine. None. And it is highly dangerous and irresponsible to suggest so, as it implies somehow that there is some formal distinction that does not exist, and makes TNW look more acceptable and therefore more useable.

José M. Sousa
José M. Sousa
1 year ago

It seems to me that this organization, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, is not anymore interested in keeping peace. If it was it should be more critical of the so called West. Constantly demonizing Russia, without any concern for its interests, ignoring obvious provocations against it, is not doing a good job. That is sad. And you prestige will decrease except for those of one side.