Overview

The Russian Nuclear Shield from Stalin to Yeltsan makes extensive use of Soviet and Russian sources to provide the first full analysis of Moscow's ballistic missile defense policy from its origins to the most recent post-Soviet developments. It considers the Soviets' motivations for pursuing an Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) capability and the extent of their success, and reveals that ballistic missile defense policy was used by every political leadership as a means of sending signals about Moscow's intentions to the West.