Russia places nuclear munitions in Belarus

Russia said on May 21 that it had delivered nuclear munitions to field storage facilities in Belarus as part of joint exercises with its close ally. The Russian and Belarusian defence ministries released video that they said showed the transfer and the loading of missiles onto launchers during the drills. (thestar.com.my) Moscow said the exercises were among its largest nuclear maneuvers in years and came as tensions with NATO remained high over the war in Ukraine and security incidents around the Baltic. (euronews.com) The move adds a new operational detail to a deployment that Russia and Belarus had already acknowledged in broader terms. Belarus said on May 18 that the exercise would include the delivery of nuclear weapons and preparations for their use, while Russia has previously said it would keep control of any nuclear arms stationed there. (militarnyi.com) ### What exactly did Russia say it moved into Belarus? The Russian defence ministry said on May 21 that “nuclear munitions” were delivered to field storage facilities in the position area of a missile brigade in Belarus. Reuters reported that Moscow described the transfer as part of a three-day exercise on the preparation and use of nuclear forces in the event of aggression. (thestar.com.my) Belarus’s defence ministry said the video showed the delivery of nuclear munitions to field storage points in the operational area of a missile unit in Belarus. Euronews, citing the ministries’ statements and footage, said the clip showed military vehicles moving into a forested area and missiles being loaded onto launchers. (military.com) ### Which weapons systems are involved? The Iskander-M missile system was identified in the footage released by the defence ministries, according to Euronews. The system has a range of up to 500 kilometers and can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. Belarus said on May 18 that the drills would involve missile units and warplanes and would practice the delivery of nuclear weapons and preparations for their use. (thestar.com.my) Associated Press reported that Russia had already deployed some tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and that, in December, Moscow also announced that its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system had entered service there. (euronews.com) ### Is this the first time Russia has put nuclear weapons in Belarus? Russia and Belarus have publicly described a nuclear-sharing arrangement before this week’s transfer. Associated Press reported that President Alexander Lukashenko had allowed Russia to deploy some tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, and that President Vladimir Putin had said Moscow would retain control over those weapons even if Belarus selected targets in a conflict. (euronews.com) A 2025 CNA study said the deployment of non-strategic nuclear weapons to Belarus marked an important shift in Russia’s nuclear posture and reflected an evolution of Moscow’s escalation-management strategy. That assessment was the judgment of the study’s authors, not a government statement. (military.com) ### How have Ukraine and Belarus’s opposition responded? Ukraine reacted on May 18 by accusing the Kremlin of turning Belarus into a nuclear staging ground near NATO borders. Ukraine’s foreign ministry said the move undermined the nuclear non-proliferation regime and called for tighter sanctions on Moscow and Minsk. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian opposition leader, said Lukashenko was “drawing the country into nuclear blackmail” and had put Belarusians at risk. (military.com) She said Russia was openly stating that its weapons were stationed on Belarusian soil and that control remained in Moscow. (cna.org) ### What has NATO said? Mark Rutte, NATO’s secretary general, said on May 20 that Russia would face “devastating consequences” if it used nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Reports citing his remarks said NATO was closely monitoring the Russian-Belarusian drills. The exercise began on May 18 and Russia said on May 21 that it was running through Thursday. (aljazeera.com) Moscow said the broader drills involved 64,000 personnel, 7,800 pieces of equipment, more than 200 missile launchers, 73 surface ships and 13 submarines, including eight strategic submarines. May 18, May 20 and May 21 are the key dates in the current sequence: Belarus announced the drills, NATO issued its warning, and Russia then said the munitions had been delivered to field storage sites in Belarus. (euronews.com) (military.com) (militarnyi.com)