Russians will "go to heaven" as martyrs in the event of nuclear war because Moscow will only ever use nuclear weapons in retaliation, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.
"We have no concept of a preemptive strike," Putin told a forum of international experts in the southern city of Sochi in response to a question from the audience.
"In such a situation, we expect to be struck by nuclear weapons, but we will not use them" first, he said.
"The aggressor will have to understand that retaliation is inevitable, that it will be destroyed and that we, as victims of aggression, as martyrs, will go to heaven.
"They will simply die because they won't even have time to repent," he said to some laughter from the audience.
Putin last year unveiled "invincible" new weapons that would render Western missile defence systems obsolete.
In 2016 he called for the country to reinforce its military nuclear potential.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Ukraine, Russia Both Claim Advances In Kursk Region "Guilty Of High Treason": Russia Jails US-Origin Ballet Dancer For 12 Years US Welcomes India's Engagement In War Between Russia, Ukraine Who Is Jasveen Sangha, "Ketamine Queen" Charged With Matthew Perry's Death "Don't Expect Anything From Me": Kolkata Hospital's New Principal Loses Cool 2,000 Meth Pills, "Ketamine Lollipops": Inside Jasveen Sangha's "Drug Emporium" ISRO Successfully Places Earth Observation Satellite Into Orbit "Rs 700 For 1.8km": Delhi Man's Post On Uber's Surge Pricing Starts Debate How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.