Russia claimed that nuclear warheads for Iskander-M missile systems were delivered to temporary storage sites in Belarus.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the transfer of the warheads to the deployment area of a Belarusian missile brigade took place as part of exercises involving Russia’s nuclear forces.
Russia said Belarusian military personnel were taking part in the drills and carrying out combat training tasks.
The missile crews are practicing receiving nuclear warheads, loading them onto Iskander-M missiles, and secretly moving to designated positions to prepare for missile launches.
The published video shows military trucks leaving storage shelters and then moving through a forested area.
It then shows ballistic missiles being loaded onto Iskander-M mobile launchers.
On May 18, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus announced the start of military drills involving units responsible for the use of nuclear weapons.
The exercises, involving both Belarusian and Russian forces, focus on practicing the transport and preparation of nuclear warheads, as well as coordination among participating units.
The main focus of the drills is on the covert movement of troops, the redeployment of units over long distances, and calculations for the use of missile and aviation strike systems. These activities are described as “planned” exercises within the framework of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said that the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, along with joint nuclear exercises, poses an unprecedented challenge to the global security architecture.
“By turning Belarus into its nuclear foothold near NATO’s borders, the Kremlin is effectively legitimizing the spread of nuclear weapons worldwide and creating a dangerous precedent for other authoritarian regimes. Such actions must receive clear and strong condemnation from all states that respect the nuclear non-proliferation regime,” the Ministry stated.
