Russia conducts tactical nuclear weapons exercises with Belarus 0
(Dan Tri) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said Russia and Belarus are conducting exercises using tactical nuclear weapons.
Russia has deployed tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory (Photo: Reuters).
`Nuclear weapons are scary weapons. But they are a weapon. So to use those weapons, we have to train, we have to know how to use them. Tensions rise
According to the President of Belarus, Russia and Belarus publicly announced the exercise in the context of escalating tensions `first of all stemming from Ukraine`.
`However, the escalation is not just happening in Ukraine, because the Middle East is already on fire, with Iran nearby and beyond in the Pacific region,` Mr. Lukashenko added.
`As they said, these are deterrent weapons, but you should realize that we, Belarus and Russia, specifically consider them deterrent weapons,` the Belarusian leader added.
Mr. Lukashenko affirmed that Belarus and Russia want peace.
`We don’t want war and we don’t want Ukraine to become a springboard for attack… That’s why we stand with Russia, not just because we are legal allies,` Mr. Lukashenko said, agreeing.
`We tell them (the West): ‘Be calm, because we have everything necessary,’` he said.
According to President Lukashenko, organizing a joint exercise with tactical nuclear weapons is his initiative.
`For us, Belarusians, it was my initiative. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin talked about this and I called him: ‘We must be united in this issue’. One
President Lukashenko said Belarus will participate in the exercises in the second phase, while the results of the exercises will be summarized after the third phase.
`We have no intention of attacking anyone, but everyone should understand that we are very skilled in this,` Mr. Lukashenko emphasized.
President Lukashenko said last month that dozens of Russian tactical nuclear weapons had been deployed on Belarusian territory according to an agreement late last year between him and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Tactical nuclear weapons are designed to be smaller and used at close ranges, unlike strategic nuclear weapons, which are used to attack strategic targets at long ranges.
Belarus – a Russian ally – has a 1,250km long border with NATO member countries Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
Belarus’ move took place not long after the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on May 7 that President Putin had ordered a tactical nuclear exercise to be conducted in the near future.
Moscow explained that the exercise was a response to recent `provocative` statements by France, Britain and the United States.
