Claim: Video shows Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing the use of nuclear weapons in November 2024.
Fact: The video is from September 2024, when Putin announced planned revisions to Russia’s nuclear doctrine in a televised meeting of Russia’s Security Council. The announcement was not made this month; however, Putin signed and approved a new nuclear doctrine by Russia on 19 November.
On 19 November, a Threads user posted a video (archive) with the caption: “🚨BREAKING: Vladimir Putin just announced to use NUCLEAR weapons if a mass missile or UAV is launched toward Russia, or when these weapons cross into Russian territory. Moscow, Russia. We need President Trump to stop 🛑 WWIII NOW! America first! 🇺🇸”
The accompanying video is a clip from a broadcast by RT, a Russian news network. It shows Putin announcing the possibility of using nuclear weapons in case a non-nuclear country aided by a nuclear one attacks Russia.
Biden approves use of long-range missiles
US President Joe Biden approved the use of long-range American missiles by Ukraine inside Russia on 17 November. Previously, the US withheld the approval of its usage, fearing the war would escalate.
Shortly after approval, Ukraine fired six US-made long-range ATACM missiles at the Bryansk region inside Russia. In response, Russia lowered the “threshold” for its “nuclear doctrine” stating “any attack by a non-nuclear power supported by a nuclear power would be considered a joint attack.” Previously, the “doctrine” from 2020 said “Russia’s nuclear deterrence is directed mainly against countries and alliances that have nuclear weapons.”
The decision to amend the doctrine came in early September 2024. The footage of the meeting where Putin discussed this, sourced from RT, is from the same time. Neither the video-report nor the announcement is from November. However, Putin approved Russia’s latest nuclear policy on 19 November, lowering the “threshold” for its “nuclear doctrine.”
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reverse-searched keyframes from the video and found that it is from an announcement by Putin made in September 2024.
An X user shared this video (archive) on 26 September with a similar caption as the one in the claim, and wrote: “JUST IN: President Putin announced the use of nuclear weapons if a mass enemy missile or UAV is launched towards Russia, or when these weapons cross into Russian territory.” The complete video report matches the original footage from the claim: the RT logo, tickers over the footage, and the reporter at timestamp 39:00.
A Reddit user shared the exact footage (archive) two months ago, again with a similar caption: “PUTIN: “We will use NUCLEAR weapons if a mass enemy missile or UAV is launched towards Russia, or when these weapons cross into Russian territory.”
Finally, we found RT’s original footage (archive) from September 2024. On X, the network’s handle wrote, “Russia reserves right to resort to nuclear weapons if faced with threat – Putin.” The video alongside the caption matches the Thread’s footage, confirming the video appeared two months ago.
Soch Fact Check, therefore, concludes that Putin’s announcement and RT’s video-report in the claim are not from November. The Russian President announced planned revisions to the country’s nuclear doctrine in September 2024 and the clip of RT’s news broadcast shows the same.
Virality
The claim was reposted 53 times, liked 373 times, and shared 193 times on Threads.
It appeared on X here, here, here, here, here, here, here.
On Instagram here, here, here, here, here.
Conclusion: Putin announced planned revisions to Russia’s nuclear doctrine in a televised meeting of Russia’s Security Council in September, and not in November. The clip of RT’s news broadcast in the claim shows Putin and his government officials deliberating over the possibility of amending its 2020 nuclear doctrine on 26 September.
Background image in cover photo: Davis Center
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