weapons
Moscow: Belarusians are learning about tactical nuclear weapons
An Iskander-M missile is prepared for launch during a demonstration of the International Military-Technical Forum ARMY-2016 at the Patriot Park of the Russian Armed Forces. photo
© picture alliance / dpa
At the end of March, Kremlin chief Putin announced his plans to upgrade Belarus with potentially nuclear-capable missiles. Putin is satisfied with the training of the soldiers.
According to the Russian armed forces, soldiers from neighboring Belarus have been trained on the missiles before the planned stationing of tactical nuclear weapons there. The Ministry of Defense in Moscow announced on Wednesday that they had shown good results. The ministry also released a video purporting to show training at a Russian military training area in the south of the country. The Iskander-M missile complex was on display. The rockets can be equipped with conventional, but also with nuclear warheads.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced the stationing of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus against the background of tensions with the NATO countries in the wake of the war he had started against Ukraine. According to the Russian ministry, weapons training has been running since April 3, as per Putin’s announcement. The Belarusian soldiers studied in detail the storage and use of tactical explosive devices for missiles. There was also a test launch of a rocket, as can be seen on the video.
Kremlin boss Putin also justified the stationing at the end of March with the fact that the USA had nuclear weapons in Europe, including Germany, for years. After voluntarily surrendering its nuclear weapons after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Belarus is now receiving nuclear missiles for the first time since the 1990s. In addition, ruler Alexander Lukashenko also had the constitution changed, which no longer stipulates a nuclear-weapon-free status. The bunkers for storing the nuclear warheads are expected to be completed by July 1st. According to Russia, it remains in control. The weapons are to be stationed on the border with Poland.