▁to ▁state ▁that ▁Russia ▁would ▁not ▁launch ▁first ▁in ▁a ▁nuclear ▁conflict ▁but ▁would ▁" ann ih il ate " ▁any ▁advers ary . ▁Rus si ans ▁killed ▁in ▁such ▁a ▁conflict ▁" will ▁go ▁to ▁heaven ▁as ▁mart y rs ". ▁Most ▁military ▁anal yst s ▁believe ▁Russia ▁would ▁consider ▁launch ing ▁first ▁if ▁losing ▁a ▁major ▁conventional ▁conflict ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁' es cal ate ▁to ▁de - es cal ate ’ ▁strategy ▁that ▁would ▁bring ▁advers aries ▁to ▁the ▁negoti ating ▁table . ▁ ▁Put in ▁has ▁also ▁sought ▁to ▁increase ▁Russian ▁territorial ▁claims ▁in ▁the ▁Ar ctic ▁and ▁its ▁military ▁presence ▁here . ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁Russian ▁expedition ▁Ar kt ika ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁part ▁of ▁research ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁Russian ▁territorial ▁extension ▁claim , ▁plant ed ▁a ▁flag ▁on ▁the ▁se ab ed ▁below ▁the ▁North ▁P ole . ▁Both ▁Russian ▁sub mar ines ▁and ▁troops ▁deployed ▁in ▁the ▁Ar ctic ▁have ▁been ▁increasing . ▁ ▁Human ▁rights ▁policy ▁▁ ▁An ▁N GO ▁based ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁City ; ▁Human ▁Rights ▁Watch ; ▁in ▁a ▁report ▁entitled ▁La ws ▁of ▁At tr ition , ▁author ed ▁by ▁Hugh ▁William son , ▁the ▁British ▁director ▁of ▁H R W ' s ▁Europe ▁& ▁Central ▁Asia ▁Division , ▁has ▁claimed ▁that ▁since ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁when ▁Put in ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁as ▁president , ▁Russia ▁has ▁en act ed