MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/. Russia may be the first to use nuclear weapons if aggression against it threatens the very existence of the state, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday, addressing participants in the Znanie (Knowledge) educational marathon.

Medvedev was speaking by video link from the defense sector enterprise NPO Mashinostroyenia, which is one of the leading players in Russia's rocket and space industry. Military hardware features prominently on the list of its products.

"You’ve said that Russia would never use nuclear weapons first, but that's not quite so," Medvedev said in commenting on a remark by one of the participants. He quoted paragraph 19 of Russia's nuclear doctrine.

"It explicitly states that nuclear weapons can be used when aggression is carried out against Russia with the use of other types of weapons that endanger the very existence of the state. It is essentially the use of nuclear weapons in response to such actions. Our potential adversaries should not underestimate this," he stressed.

In his opinion, speculation to the effect that Russia would never use nuclear weapons or is merely scaring everyone with nuclear weapons is not worthy of attention.

"Western analysts and Western commanders, both military and political leaders, should simply assess our rules and our intentions," Medvedev stressed.

In general, he went on to say, nuclear weapons are of paramount importance for the existence of Russia as a major country in the world.

"There may be different attitudes to nuclear weapons, and to weapons in general, but nevertheless we understand that in today's world nuclear weapons for our country have the significance of a bond that keeps the state together," he pointed out.

Medvedev spoke separately about the readiness to use such weapons.

"I can tell you as someone who is in the know. I can tell you frankly: If you have a weapon in your hands - and as a former president, I know what it is like - you must be ready to use it in a given situation, no matter how awful and brutal this may sound. All these factors should not be underestimated by our potential adversaries, the countries that we now quite appropriately call enemies," he said.

Russia’s nuclear doctrine

Under its nuclear doctrine, Russia may use nuclear arms if the enemy uses these or other types of weapons of mass destruction against it or its allies; if there is reliable information about the launch of a ballistic missile attack on Russia and its allies; and if the enemy attacks facilities crucial to retaliatory actions by its nuclear forces; as well as in cases of aggression against Russia with conventional weapons that endanger the very existence of the state.