Belarus Received Tactical Nuclear Weapons From Russia, President Lukashenko Confirms
Belarus has reportedly received tactical nuclear weapons from Russia, making this a development which has raised international concerns.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced that the delivery of these weapons was finished in October, though details such as the number of weapons and their deployment locations were not disclosed.
Tactical nuclear weapons, characterised by their short range and relatively low yield compared to larger nuclear warheads, are designed for use on the battlefield.
The move marks the first time since the mid-1990s that Moscow has based arms outside of Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously announced the construction of a storage facility for these weapons in Belarus, to be completed by July, although the exact timeline for the transfer of the weapons was not specified.
This deployment has been closely watched by the United States and its allies, as well as China, which has repeatedly advised against the use of nuclear weapons in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Lukashenko has stated that Belarus would be ready to use these weapons in case of aggression against them, even though Putin had emphasised that Moscow would retain control over their use.
The deployment of these tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus could potentially reduce NATO’s response time in the event of an attack and has led to renewed concerns over growing nuclear tensions between Russia and the US.
The US has stated that there have been no indications that Russia is preparing to use these nuclear weapons, and remains committed to the collective defence of the NATO alliance.
This development is a significant shift in the regional security landscape and is being monitored closely by international observers and defence experts.
Photo credit: Getty Images / CNN
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