We'd never have to resort to a nuke on their homeland for retaliation, if they nuked a carrier battle group.
The Russians have 168 projection capable ships.
The Russians have 13 Boomers.
3 built post USSR, in '13-'14. These are the boats that get the majority of their tour exercises.
The Russian Boomers do 5-6 tours a year.
That means 3-4 Boomers out of 13 are battle ready. With 2 maybe 3 at sea at any time.
We know where they're at.
Russia built 13 Oscars (cruise missile subs)
4 have been scrapped. 1 lost.
Leaving 8
3 are being modernized. Leaving 5. 3 are nearly ready for retirement. Seldom seeing significant exercise time. Leaving 2 really battle ready. That means no more than 2 are out at any given time.
They have 17 nuclear attack subs.
7 of these are post USSR, with only 2 being from 2000 and 2014.
These 7 are the ones kept in battle ready condition.
Usually 3 maybe 4, out at any given time.
They have 24 conventional powered attack subs.
8 are post USSR, 2 being built in '16, 2 in '15, 2 in '14 and 1 in '10.
These 8 are their battle ready.
4-5 of these are out at any particular time.
At most, 12 subs total, at sea at any time.
Once all are accounted for a timed response takes them all out.
Simultaneously, a timed cruise missile strike hits every battle ready projection surface ship, about 60.
With about half of those actually being out of port, on station.
Followed by the remaining being taken out later.
TWO lowly destroyers launched 59 cruise missiles in a matter of minutes.
If Putin decides to nuke a carrier battle group,
He might as well keep lobbing nukes everywhere.