Belarus Initiates Nuclear Drills with Russia Amid Escalating West Tensions

Belarus initiated military exercises on Tuesday, incorporating missiles and warplanes capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons. This move comes as a close collaboration with Russia, which has recently deployed such arms in Belarus amidst growing tensions with the West over the conflict in Ukraine. The drills began one day following Russia's announcement of its plans to conduct exercises simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, a decision framed as a reaction to Western officials' statements hinting at a possible escalation of involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. This marks the first occasion Moscow has publicly disclosed such an exercise.

Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin of Belarus detailed that the drills would feature a unit of Iskander short-range missiles and a squadron of Su-25 fighter jets. These exercises are conducted in partnership with Russia, coinciding with Russian President Vladimir Putin's inauguration to a fifth term, where he pledged to prioritize Russia's security. Last year saw Russia relocating some of its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, sharing borders with Ukraine and NATO members Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania. Belarus's authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, has maintained strong ties with Russia, offering his nation as a base for the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Russian officials have clarified that the tactical nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus are under Russian military control. Tactical nuclear weapons, unlike their intercontinental counterparts capable of annihilating entire cities, are designed for battlefield use and possess relatively lower power. These include aerial bombs, warheads for short-range missiles, and artillery munitions. The strategic positioning of these weapons in Belarus enhances Russia's ability to swiftly target potential sites in Ukraine and extend its threat range to several NATO allies in Eastern and Central Europe.

Both Putin and Lukashenko have described the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus as a measure to counteract perceived threats from the West. Lukashenko emphasized that the ongoing drills are "exclusively defensive," aimed at deterring potential aggression against Belarus. He outlined that the exercises would simulate the process from retrieving tactical nuclear weapons from storage to mounting them on missiles and attaching them to warplanes, preparing for a hypothetical attack on Belarus.

On the international stage, Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya voiced her concerns during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday. Tsikhanouskaya, who fled Belarus following pressure from official channels after contesting Lukashenko in the August 2020 presidential elections, criticized the presence of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus as a direct threat not only to the safety and health of Belarusians but also to all European citizens.