Moscow and Minsk rehearse launch of nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus, says Lukashenko
MOSCOW: Russia and Belarus are rehearsing the launch of Russian tactical nuclear weapons as part of joint war games, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday (Sep 16).
State media quoted the Belarusian chief of staff as saying that the exercises also featured Russia's Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which it test-fired last year in the war with Ukraine.
Russia and Belarus are ending five days of war games codenamed Zapad (West), a show of force they say is meant to test combat readiness but which has unnerved some neighbouring countries.
Dressed in military attire, Russian President Vladimir Putin met top military officials on Tuesday in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region, where some of the drills took place. He said some 100,000 personnel and 10,000 pieces of equipment were involved.
PUTIN DEFENDS WAR GAMES
The drills were to ensure the "unconditional protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Union State," Putin said, referring to the alliance of Russia and Belarus.
Western military analysts say the exercises are designed to intimidate Europe and come just days after NATO forces said they shot down Russian drones that entered Polish airspace.
Belarus, which borders Ukraine and NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, hosts Russian tactical nuclear weapons under Moscow’s command and control.
NUCLEAR DRILLS
Lukashenko said it was only natural that the Russian weapons were part of the Zapad exercises.
"We are practising everything there. They (the West) know this too, we are not hiding it. From firing conventional small arms to nuclear warheads. Again, we must be able to do all this. Otherwise, why would they be on Belarusian territory?" he said, while insisting Minsk was "not planning to threaten anyone".
The Belarusian defence ministry confirmed the drills included the use of tactical nuclear weapons and deployment of Russia’s Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile.
Putin has said the Oreshniks, which he claims are impossible to intercept, could be deployed in Belarus in the second half of 2025.
US WATCHES CLOSELY
US President Donald Trump has begun cultivating closer ties with Lukashenko, long treated as a pariah by the West, and last week relaxed some sanctions on Belarus in return for the release of 52 prisoners including political opponents.
US military officers observed part of the Zapad exercises in Belarus on Monday.
Russia’s defence ministry said Tu-160 strategic bombers rehearsed launching cruise missiles over the Barents Sea, escorted by MiG-31 fighters.
In Murmansk, marines repelled an amphibious landing in drills backed by helicopters and drones. Ships from Russia’s Baltic Fleet and mobile launchers in Kaliningrad also test-fired cruise missiles, while troops practised locating enemy forces using reconnaissance systems.
