Terrifying leaked military files have revealed that Russia's threshold for unleashing nukes is lower than ever feared.
The Kremlin's forces have already rehearsed scenarios for tactical strikes at an early stage of a conflict with a global power, according to the documents.
A total of 29 secret Russian military files from between 2008 and 2014 are covered, including details on how war-gaming could play out and presentations for naval officers, which speak of operating principles for nuclear weapons use.
A possible nuclear response could be triggered by an enemy entering Russian territory, but there are also more specific examples, such as the obliteration of 20 per cent of Moscow's strategic ballistic missile submarines, according to the classified documents, seen by the Financial Times and reviewed by experts.
'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 Center in Berlin, told the publication.
