The Belarusian Defense Ministry announced the start of joint nuclear exercises with Russia on May 18, focusing on training troops in the deployment and potential combat use of tactical nuclear weapons.
The Scope of the Exercises
The Belarusian defense ministry stated that its missile and air units have begun exercises involving the combat use and support of nuclear weapons. These maneuvers are designed to train personnel in the preparation and delivery of nuclear munitions.
The core objective of these drills is to test the readiness of military equipment and personnel to execute combat missions from previously undisclosed, “unplanned” locations across Belarus. The ministry emphasized a focus on maintaining stealth, rapid movement over long distances, and precise logistical calculations for the use of these forces.
Officials from the Belarusian Ministry of Defense maintained that the exercises are a scheduled training event within the framework of the Union State. They asserted that these activities are not directed against third parties and do not pose a threat to regional security.
Deepening Strategic Cooperation
The current exercises follow an agreement signed on May 25, 2023, by former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Belarusian counterpart, Viktor Khrenin. The agreement established procedures for housing Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil, with President Vladimir Putin making it clear that Moscow retains full control over their use.
As part of this deployment, Russia has provided Belarus with Iskander-M operational-tactical missile systems capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads. Additionally, Belarusian aircraft have been retrofitted for nuclear operations, and crews have completed the necessary training.
Context and Geopolitical Objectives
Moscow has framed the expansion of nuclear cooperation as a response to what it characterizes as increasingly aggressive NATO activity in Eastern Europe following the invasion of Ukraine. Sergei Shoigu has further accused the Alliance of prolonging the conflict by providing military aid to Kyiv.
The Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) assessed the move in 2023 as an exercise in “nuclear blackmail.” Analysts suggest that beyond the military implications, the deployment is a psychological operation designed to foster anti-war sentiment in the West by validating Russian threats of nuclear escalation.