politics
Belarus Begins Military Drills Involving Russian Nuclear Weapons
Belarusian armed forces started training exercises with Russian nuclear weapons on Monday. Ukraine condemned the drills, which Belarus described as routine readiness tests.
May 18, 1:42 PM·1m read1 source
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Belarus said on Monday its armed forces had begun training exercises involving Russian nuclear weapons. The Belarusian Defence Ministry stated that the drills would practise the delivery of nuclear munitions and their preparation for use in cooperation with Russia.
The ministry said the exercise would test the military’s readiness to deploy nuclear weapons in different areas of the country. It added that the emphasis would be on practising stealth, movement over significant distances, and calculations for the use of forces and equipment. Belarus shares borders with Russia, Ukraine and three NATO states.
Belarus said the exercise was not aimed against any other country and did not pose security threats in the region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that Russia was seeking to draw Belarus deeper into its war in Ukraine. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko agreed in 2023 to host Russian tactical nuclear missiles.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made clear that Moscow retains control of their use.
