POLITICAL SCIENCE / General

On March 1 2018 President V. Putin caused something of a stir by publicly showcasing the newest version of Russia’s Doomsday Machine. The effect on Western public opinion was tremendous creating the impression that Russia was updating its deterrent at an alarming pace. Still rather limited information about this weaponry has been officially released in the (almost) five years which have followed the speech. Putting together the pieces of the jigsaw involves inevitably a lot of speculation. We summarize the most essential information and estimates about a total of 11 weapons of strategic and sub-strategic nature either put in service recently (from 2010 till early 2023) or still under development. We also examine briefly the Russian nuclear doctrine and the strategy of active defense.