The War Zone, an online military magazine, notes that while nuclear-armed air-to-air missiles were part of the Soviet Union's arsenal during the Cold War, little is known about their current status within Russia's Aerospace Forces (VKS), which "makes the disclosure from [the Defense Intelligence Agency] intelligence all the more intriguing."

Russia's President Vladimir Putin is expanding his nuclear arsenal with the return of 'nuclear-tipped' air-to-air rockets

The official assessment suggests Vladimir Putin is enlarging his nuclear arsenal not just to improve his position ion the battlefield, but also in response to global concerns about the possibility of WW3.