The Belarusian army announced, on Tuesday, that it had also begun a maneuver to verify the degree of readiness of its tactical nuclear weapons launchers, a day after its Russian ally announced exercises related to these nuclear weapons, especially near Ukraine.
• Read also: Putin orders nuclear exercises in response to Western “threats”.
Belarusian Security Council Secretary Alexander Volfovich, quoted by the official Belta news agency, stressed that this maneuver is linked to the Russian announcement and will be “synchronized” with Moscow.
According to this official, the mission will include “above all” on the Belarusian side, Iskander missile systems and Su-25 bombers.
Russia deployed tactical nuclear weapons in the summer of 2023 in Belarus, its closest ally and the EU's neighbour, which it remains under.
“Verification of the degree of readiness of troops and tactical nuclear weapons launchers within the Armed Forces has begun,” the Belarusian Defense Ministry wrote in a statement.
“As part of this event, part of the forces and aviation resources were redeployed to a reserve airfield,” the Chief of Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces, General Viktor Gulevich, confirmed in this report.
He continued: “Once this redeployment process is completed, we will address issues related to preparations for the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.”
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko later said that the Iskander and Polonaise systems would be mobilized for training “missile strikes in order to repel a possible attack against Belarus.”
“Any possibility”
In a speech he delivered, he considered that his country should be “prepared for any eventuality,” adding that he did not believe that Westerners were “crazy and exceeding the limit they set for themselves.”
“We have never been this close to nuclear war in our lives. I am a peaceful man, and I do not want war.”
On Monday, Russia announced tactical nuclear weapons exercises in response, according to the Kremlin, to aggressive statements by Western leaders.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered such exercises to be conducted “in the near future,” especially with the participation of forces stationed near Ukraine.
He explained in a statement, “During the exercise, a series of measures will be taken to train in the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.”
This will include air forces, naval forces and forces from the Southern Military District, which is located near Ukraine and now covers Ukrainian areas that Moscow claims to have annexed.
But the date and location of these exercises have not been determined, nor the exact number of soldiers and equipment mobilized.
