Russia’s defense chief warns of Belarusian warplanes converted to carry nuclear weapons – as Finland joins NATO

Belarusian warplanes have been upgraded to carry nuclear weapons, Russia’s defense chief warned today – hours before Finland formally joined NATO.

Sergei Shoigu said Russia was taking practical steps to increase the nuclear strike capability of its close ally Belarus.

He said some Belarusian military jets are now capable of carrying nuclear warheads and that Russia has sent Iskander missile systems – capable of carrying conventional or nuclear missiles – to Belarus.

“Some of the Belarusian ground attack aircraft have gained the ability to attack enemy targets with nuclear weapons,” he said at a conference at the military department.

Both Moscow and Minsk also said today that Belarusian troops had begun training on a Russian nuclear-powered missile system following President Vladimir Putin’s decision to deploy tactical weapons on Belarusian territory, Moscow and Minsk announced on Tuesday.

On March 25, Putin said he would deploy tactical nuclear weapons on Russia’s allies, a move that was widely criticized.

Tactical nuclear weapons are battlefield weapons that, while destructive, have less impact compared to long-range strategic weapons.

“The Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system has been handed over to the Belarusian armed forces,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.

“On April 3, the Belarusian teams started training in its use,” he said.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry released photos of men in uniform with the Belarusian coat of arms, their faces hidden, boarding military jets bound for Russia.

“The crew of these units will study in detail issues related to the maintenance and use of the tactical nuclear weapons of the Iskander-M missile system,” the Belarusian Defense Ministry said on Telegram.

“You will complete a full cycle of training at one of the Russian Armed Forces’ training grounds,” it said, without saying how long the training would last.

Putin’s announcement raised fears of a nuclear conflict, but experts and governments said the move was unlikely to change the course of the conflict.

Russia is building a special warehouse for such weapons, which is expected to be ready by July 1.

Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday he was ready to offer “strategic” Russian nuclear weapons “if necessary”.

The Kremlin also said on Tuesday that Russia would be forced to take “countermeasures” against Finland’s entry into the NATO military alliance, as Shoigu said the move would further escalate the prospect of conflict in Ukraine.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers a State of the Union address in Minsk, Belarus

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said NATO expansion, long criticized in Moscow, was a “compromise for our security and Russia’s national interests” and that Moscow would closely monitor NATO’s military operation in Finland.

Russia and Finland share a 1,300 km border, and Moscow has already announced plans to reinforce military units stationed in the west and northwest.

Finland will formally join the military alliance later on Tuesday.

Shoigu told the Russian military leadership at a meeting that Finland’s accession “poses a risk of a significant escalation of the conflict” in Ukraine, according to a memo released by the defense ministry.

But he said it would not affect the outcome of what Russia calls its “military special operation” in Ukraine.

Russia says that one of the reasons it deployed its forces to Ukraine in February 2022 was to counter a threat from Western plans to use Ukraine as a platform to threaten Russia.

It is now waging a “hybrid war” against NATO and the West, which supports Ukraine with billions in arms and financial aid packages.

Shoigu said Russia is also taking practical steps to increase the nuclear strike capability of its close ally Belarus.

Russia says it is now waging a “hybrid war” against NATO and the West

He said some Belarusian military jets are now capable of carrying nuclear warheads and that Russia has sent Iskander missile systems – capable of carrying conventional or nuclear missiles – to Belarus.

President Vladimir Putin said last month that Russia would deploy tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory.

Russia used Belarus as a launching pad for its invasion last year, and fears remained high in Kiev and the West that Moscow would drag it further into the conflict.

The reason is that Belarusian troops have begun training on a Russian nuclear-powered missile system following President Vladimir Putin’s decision to use tactical weapons on Belarusian territory, Moscow and Minsk announced on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin leads a meeting with the Presidium of the State Council on the development of Russian industry under the pressure of sanctions during his working trip to Tula April 4

On March 25, Putin said he would deploy tactical nuclear weapons on Russia’s allies, a move that was widely criticized.

Tactical nuclear weapons are battlefield weapons that, while destructive, have less impact compared to long-range strategic weapons.

“The Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system has been handed over to the Belarusian armed forces,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.

“On April 3, the Belarusian teams started training in its use,” he said.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry released photos of men in uniform with the Belarusian coat of arms, their faces hidden, boarding military jets bound for Russia.

“The crew of these units will study in detail issues related to the maintenance and use of the tactical nuclear weapons of the Iskander-M missile system,” the Belarusian Defense Ministry said on Telegram.

“You will complete a full cycle of training at one of the Russian Armed Forces’ training grounds,” it said, without saying how long the training would last.

Putin’s announcement raised fears of a nuclear conflict, but experts and governments said the move was unlikely to change the course of the conflict.

Russia is building a special warehouse for such weapons, which is expected to be ready by July 1.

Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday he was ready to offer “strategic” Russian nuclear weapons “if necessary”.