On Tuesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that joint non-strategic nuclear weapon exercises have commenced with the Belarusian armed forces, constituting the “second stage” of broader drills initiated by Moscow in early May.
According to Moscow’s Defense Ministry, this phase of the exercises is geared towards sustaining the preparedness of personnel and equipment within units for potential combat deployment of non-strategic nuclear weapons, with the overarching objective of safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Union State.
The Union State, a political and economic alliance between Russia and Belarus, seeks to enhance integration between the two nations.
A video released by the Russian Defense Ministry showcased armored vehicles and missile carriers traversing fields, alongside jets and bombers taking off from an airstrip. However, the specific location of the exercises was not disclosed by the military.
Last month, the initial stage of Russia’s non-strategic nuclear weapon drills occurred in the Southern Military District, which shares borders and encompasses regions of Ukraine that Moscow claims to have annexed. However, the precise location of this stage was not specified by the Russian Defense Ministry.
President Vladimir Putin authorized these drills in response to perceived Western “threats and provocations,” notably citing remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the potential deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine.
In early May, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered an unanticipated inspection of its non-strategic nuclear weapon carriers. While Belarus does not possess nuclear arms of its own, it agreed last year to host Russian tactical warheads amid escalating tensions following Ukraine’s full-scale invasion.
