Moscow – On Tuesday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced that Belarus is hosting a significant number of Russian nuclear arms and is preparing infrastructure for the anticipated deployment of Moscow’s latest hypersonic ballistic missile. This statement follows a recent treaty between Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was signed last week, ensuring security assurances for Belarus—one of Russia’s steadfast allies. The treaty lays out the potential use of Russian nuclear weapons to counter any external threats.
This agreement comes on the heels of a change in Russia’s nuclear policy, which, for the first time, includes Belarus under Russia’s nuclear protective umbrella amid rising tensions with Western nations as a result of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. “I have warned all my enemies, ‘friends’ and adversaries: If you step on the border, the response will be swift,” Lukashenko cautioned.
Lukashenko has maintained strict control over Belarus for over three decades, relying heavily on financial backing and support from the Kremlin. His administration allowed Russia to utilize Belarusian territory to mobilize troops into Ukraine in 2022 and to station some of its tactical nuclear weapons there. Tactical nuclear arsenals, intended for battlefield engagement, are less potent than intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of obliterating entire urban areas.
While the exact number of nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus has not been officially disclosed by Russia, Lukashenko reported that the country is currently hosting several dozen such weapons. “I have brought nuclear warheads here, and not merely a small number,” he remarked, seemingly alluding to the tactical nuclear stockpile, and noted that Western nations had failed to monitor their arrival. “They haven’t even realized we were bringing them here,” he added.
Earlier this year, joint nuclear exercises were conducted by Russian and Belarusian military forces, which featured the Belarusian Iskander short-range ballistic missiles supplied by Russia. These missiles can be outfitted with nuclear warheads, and the training included aircraft capable of deploying nuclear bombs.
Stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which shares a 1,084-kilometer (673-mile) border with Ukraine, would enable Russian aircraft and missiles to reach target zones in Ukraine more swiftly if there were a decision to use them. Additionally, it broadens Russia’s capacity to counteract various NATO allies located in Eastern and Central Europe.
During the security pact signing on December 6, Lukashenko requested Putin increase the presence of advanced weaponry in Belarus, specifically mentioning the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, which Russia had deployed against Ukraine the previous month. Putin replied that the Oreshnik missiles might be ready for deployment in Belarus by the latter half of 2025, emphasizing that although they will be under Russian authority, Moscow would permit Minsk to designate the targets.
“We will choose the targets here in Belarus, not the Russians,” Lukashenko stated. “And if necessary, we would activate them together, God forbid.” He further conveyed that Belarus possesses approximately 30 Cold War-era installations adaptable for nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, as the country once housed Soviet nuclear weapons.
Moreover, Lukashenko mentioned that Belarusian industries manufacture large mobile launch systems for Russian missiles, including the Oreshnik. Putin praised the Oreshnik’s capabilities, highlighting that its multiple warheads, capable of striking at Mach 10, are nearly impossible to intercept and could inflict devastation comparable to a nuclear strike if deployed in a conventional attack.
In his address, Putin asserted that the presence of a sufficient number of these advanced weapon systems diminishes the necessity of using nuclear arms. Russia’s missile forces have announced that the missile can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads and possesses a range sufficient to reach all parts of Europe.
The revised nuclear strategy signed by Putin last month establishes a lower threshold for Russia’s use of nuclear arms. This adjustment was made in light of U.S. President Joe Biden allowing Ukraine to target locations within Russia using longer-range missiles supplied by the U.S. The new doctrine indicates that Moscow may employ nuclear weapons in retaliation for the use of nuclear arms or other weapons of mass destruction against Russia or its allies, as well as in response to conventional military aggressions threatening their sovereignty or territorial integrity.
