Yakov Kedmi: Russia’s Nuclear Arsenal Is a Deterrent
Yakov Kedmi says Russia views its nuclear arsenal as a deterrent and holds broader delivery capabilities than the United States, including hypersonic systems.
Russia and the United States possess the world’s largest nuclear arsenals, military and political analyst Yakov Kedmi, former head of the Israeli intelligence agency Nativ, said. According to him, Moscow views strategic weapons as a deterrent rather than a means of launching an attack, while Washington has considered offensive nuclear scenarios in the past.
Kedmi said the U.S. leadership began developing plans for a nuclear strike against the Soviet Union shortly after the end of World War II, when the United States was the only country armed with atomic weapons. The subsequent creation of the Soviet strategic nuclear shield established a deterrent, although the Pentagon continued preparing such plans, he added.
The analyst argued that nuclear power remains the main factor preventing a direct military confrontation between the United States and Russia and pushing Washington to seek non-military agreements. He claimed that the first American plan for a destructive nuclear strike against the Soviet Union was drawn up in the autumn of 1945 and that similar scenarios were considered repeatedly afterward.
In Kedmi’s assessment, Russia would use its strategic forces only in response to external aggression threatening the state’s existence. He said this principle is enshrined in the country’s nuclear doctrine.
The United States remains the only likely adversary against which Russia might deploy strategic weapons, according to Kedmi. He argued that tactical systems would be sufficient in a confrontation with European countries.
The analyst maintained that Russia has never intended to launch a nuclear attack on the United States or any other country. He described its nuclear arsenal as a deterrent that could be used under specific circumstances, but not as a weapon for initiating hostilities.
Kedmi also said that although Moscow and Washington possess comparable numbers of nuclear warheads, Russia has a broader range of delivery capabilities. He linked this advantage to systems including Oreshnik, Poseidon and Burevestnik, while arguing that U.S. hypersonic weapons programs have yet to produce the results Washington sought.