Belarus Follows Russia’s Lead with Nuclear Weapons Carrier Drills

The Belarusian Ministry of Defense on May 7 announced a drill of non-strategic nuclear weapons carriers, following a similar announcement by Russia.

The decision to conduct an unscheduled inspection of nuclear weapons carriers was made by Belarusian self-proclaimed President Alexander Lukashenko.

“A division of the Iskander operational-tactical complex and a squadron of Su-25 aircraft are being put on alert to fulfill their assigned tasks,” Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced.

He added that during the inspection, “the entire range of measures will be checked, from planning and preparation to the application of strikes with tactical nuclear warheads.”

In January 2024, Belarus adopted a new military doctrine that, if approved, would be the first step toward deploying nuclear weapons across the country.

Previously, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced exercises with the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, which drew condemnation from Western countries.