Russia has handed over to the armed forces of Belarus the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system capable of using nuclear missiles.
This was announced by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at a conference call with the leadership of the Russian Armed Forces.
The Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system has been handed over to the Armed Forces of Belarus. It can use missiles, both conventional and nuclear,”
he said.
On April 3, one of the Russian training grounds began training Belarusian crews on how to use it, Shoigu added.
In addition, part of the attack aircraft of the Belarusian Air Force got the opportunity to use nuclear weapons to strike at enemy targets, the minister noted.
Shoigu stressed that measures to strengthen the security of the Union State are being taken in connection with NATO’s increased combat readiness of the Joint Armed Forces, as well as the intensification of intelligence activities near the borders of Russia and Belarus.
On March 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had long been raising the question of deploying Russian tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of the republic.
According to him, the construction of such a storage facility will be completed on July 1.
There is nothing unusual in the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in the republic, the Russian president pointed out, noting that the United States has been doing the same thing for decades: American nuclear weapons have been placed on the territory of NATO countries in Europe.
Putin also stressed that Moscow does not transfer nuclear weapons themselves.
After that, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, explained the deployment of nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus as steps to strengthen the security of the Union State.
The United States noted that they do not see in this decision signs that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons.
