(GLO)- Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu signed documents defining the process of deploying Moscow's tactical nuclear weapons at a special facility on Belarusian territory.
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Russia's Iskander missile system. Photo: Sputnik |
According to TASS news agency on May 25, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that the relocation of some tactical nuclear weapons from Russia to Belarus has begun.
"In the context of extremely serious escalation of the threat on the western borders of Russia and Belarus, the decision was made to adopt countermeasures in the nuclear- military sphere," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
According to Mr. Shoigu, Iskander-M missiles, which can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, have been delivered to the Belarusian armed forces and a number of Su-25 aircraft have been converted to be able to use nuclear weapons.
Tactical nuclear weapons are lower-yield weapons designed for use on the battlefield, as opposed to strategic weapons that are capable of devastating destruction. Russia does not disclose how many tactical nuclear weapons it has.
Earlier, on March 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that, at Minsk's request, Moscow would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Mr. Putin emphasized that this decision is similar to what the US has long done on the territory of its allies. The Russian leader stated that the construction of tactical nuclear weapons storage facilities in Belarus will be completed by July 1.
Responding to the above move by Russia and Belarus, the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Mr. Josep Borrell, announced that the bloc will respond with additional sanctions if Belarus allows Russia to deploy nuclear weapons on its territory.
Mr. Borrell also called Russia's decision to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus an "escalatory" move and a threat to European security.
Meanwhile, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said the move by Russia and Belarus was a wrong decision. NATO is always vigilant and closely monitoring the situation.
The United States also made a similar statement. Representative Michael McCaul, Republican Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he considered Russia's plan to threaten and frighten the West.
For its part, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called for a meeting of the UN Security Council on this issue. Kiev expressed the need for the permanent members of the Security Council to take timely action against the nuclear threat from Russia.
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