An unexpected inspection of tactical nuclear weapons carriers in Belarus

“According to the order of the President of Belarus, a sudden inspection of non-strategic nuclear weapons carriers is being carried out,” the Ministry of Defense reported.

Non-strategic nuclear weapons, also called tactical nuclear weapons, are intended for use on the battlefield and can be carried by missiles.

They are less devastating than strategic nuclear weapons used to destroy entire cities, but they are still mass destruction and have never been used in combat.

The unit of the Iskander operational-tactical complex and the squadron of Su-25 aircraft are ready to carry out the assigned tasks. Inspection will be done strictly [A.Lukašenkos] established time regulations. During it, the entire range of activities from the planning, preparation and use of strikes with tactical nuclear warheads will be checked,” Defense Minister Viktars Chrenin said.

According to the Ministry of Defense of Belarus, part of the aviation forces and equipment have already been transferred to another airfield, after which the military will begin “training to prepare for the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.”

Belarus does not have nuclear weapons of its own, but last year it agreed to host Russian tactical warheads on its territory amid rising tensions over Ukraine.

According to Minsk, the inspection is synchronized with Russia.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the day before that it will hold exercises in the near future, during which it is planned to solve “issues related to the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.”

Moscow says the latest drills are a response to comments by Western leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, about sending troops to Ukraine.

After the start of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, Putin stepped up his nuclear rhetoric and warned the nation in a February address that there was a “real” threat of nuclear war.

Last year, Russia withdrew its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and pulled out of a key arms reduction agreement with the United States.

Officials of the Baltic States, Germany, and the United States have condemned Russia’s intentions to hold tactical nuclear weapons exercises.

In an interview last week, E. Macron said that the question of sending troops to Ukraine would legitimately arise if Russia broke through Ukraine’s front line and Kyiv made such a request.

“I don’t rule anything out, because we are dealing with someone who doesn’t rule anything out,” Macron said, referring to Putin. He had already made similar remarks in February.

For his part, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in an interview last week that Ukraine has the right to strike targets in Russia.