Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has acknowledged the presence of the entire promised Russian nuclear arsenal in Belarus, claiming that the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons was completed months ago.
When asked about Russia’s nuclear weapons, Lukashenko confirmed their arrival, saying: “Long ago. I’ve already talked about it when the delivery ended. In September, I think, or October. The last delivery was at the beginning of October. Everything is in place and in good condition.”
This disclosure aligns with the signing of agreements between the defense ministers of Russia and Belarus on May 25th, outlining the placement of tactical nuclear weapons within Belarus. Russian President Vladimir Putin subsequently confirmed the arrival of a portion of Russia’s nuclear arsenal in Belarus the following month.
The specifics of the volume and nature of the weaponry have not been disclosed. However, the Defense Minister of Russia, Sergey Shoygu, revealed on April 4th that Belarus had received the “Iskander-M” missile system capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads. Furthermore, in March, President Putin mentioned the presence of ten aircraft in Belarus with the capacity to carry nuclear armaments.
On July 22nd, the U.S. Defence Intelligence Agency emphasized confidence in Putin’s statement regarding the deployment of tactical nuclear arms in Belarus, reinforcing the seriousness of this situation.
The confirmed deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus has significantly altered the geopolitical landscape in Eastern Europe.