Alexander Lukashenko announced on Tuesday that Russia had ended the supply of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus. The news is raising concern among the international community, as the Belarusian president previously said the transfer of nuclear weapons to his country was linked to NATO member Poland's efforts to curb threats in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Alexander Lukashenko made the shocking announcement this Tuesday during the Commonwealth of Nations meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, which brings together nine of the fifteen former Soviet republics. The delivery of Russia's tactical nuclear weapons was completed in October, the Belarusian president said. However, he did not specify the exact number of nuclear weapons delivered or their location.
Nuclear weapons drive in May
Confirmation of the completion of these deliveries comes months after it was announced that some tactical nuclear weapons were being sent from Russia to Vladimir Putin's ally Belarus. Mr Lukashenko confirmed last May that the “movement of nuclear weapons” had “already begun”, prompting concern in the US and other Western countries.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke the same month about the nuclear weapons drive. “The West is basically waging an undeclared war against our countries,” he said. According to him, Western countries are “trying to prolong and intensify the armed conflict in Ukraine”.
In June, the first shipment of nuclear weapons reached Belarus. Putin confirmed. The Russian president was then asked about the reasons for sending nuclear weapons to Belarus and whether Russia is considering the possibility of using them. “Why should we threaten the whole world?” He replied. “I have already said that it is possible to take serious measures if the Russian state is in danger. According to Mr. Putin, the delivery to Belarus should serve as a reminder to all other countries that “think they are giving us strategic failure.”
Mr. According to Lukashenko, the transfer of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus is aimed at deterring NATO member Poland, which supports Ukraine at the military, humanitarian and political levels.
25 underground facilities?
According to Alexander Alesin, an independent military analyst based in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, non-radioactive containers are used to transfer nuclear weapons to Belarus without the West's knowledge. “They fit easily on a regular Il-76 transport plane,” he said last July, as reports of shipments mounted. “There are dozens of flights a day and it's very difficult to find that special flight.”
According to Alesin, Belarus has 25 underground facilities — built during the Cold War — for nuclear-armed missiles capable of withstanding missile attacks. “Only five or six of these depots can actually store tactical nuclear weapons, but the Belarusian military operates all 25 depots to deceive Western intelligence services because it is very difficult for them to know exactly where the nuclear weapons are located.”
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