Iskander missile system
Putin wants to supply nuclear-capable missiles to Belarus
Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko met in Saint Petersburg on Saturday
© Mikhail Metzel / AFP
Vladimir Putin has announced that he will supply his ally Belarus with the nuclear-capable Iskander-M missile system. Belarusian warplanes are also to be upgraded to be able to transport nuclear weapons.
Russia will soon deliver nuclear-capable missiles to Belarus, according to President Vladimir Putin. As Putin announced on Saturday at a meeting with Belarusian head of state Alexander Lukashenko, Russia will deliver the Iskander-M missile system to Belarus “in the coming months”, which can also be equipped with nuclear warheads.
The Iskander-M could “carry both ballistic missiles and cruise missiles – both conventional and nuclear,” Putin said. According to Russian media, they have a range of up to 500 kilometers. The defense ministers of both countries should discuss details, Putin said.
Upgrade of fighter planes
Putin also offered Lukashenko to help upgrade Belarusian warplanes so that they can also carry nuclear weapons in the future.
The Belarusian army has many Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jets, which could be “improved” accordingly, Putin said at the beginning of a meeting with Lukashenko in St. Petersburg. The modernization has to be carried out in aircraft factories in Russia, and staff training can begin at the same time.