Belarus has begun checks on the readiness of its military to deploy tactical nuclear weapons, state media stated on Tuesday, concurrently with preparations for a nuclear drill being carried out by Russia.
State information company Belta quoted Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin as saying President Alexander Lukashenko had ordered a shock inspection of forces answerable for such weapons.
Throughout the inspection, “your complete vary of actions from planning, preparation and use of strikes with tactical nuclear weapons will probably be checked,” Khrenin stated.
The checks concerned an Iskander missile division and a squadron of Su-25 plane, he added.
Lukashenko stated in April that “a number of dozen” Russian tactical nuclear weapons had been deployed in Belarus below an settlement introduced final 12 months by himself and President Vladimir Putin as a measure to discourage the West.
Tactical nuclear weapons are designed to be used on the battlefield, versus strategic warheads designed to wipe out total enemy cities.
Russia stated on Monday it could practise the deployment of such weapons as a part of a army train after what Moscow stated have been threats from France, Britain and the US.
A Ukrainian army intelligence spokesperson stated Kyiv noticed nothing new within the drill, as “nuclear blackmail is a continuing observe of Putin’s regime”.
First uploaded on: 07-05-2024 at 19:42 IST
