Russia and Belarus launch joint nuclear strike drills

Russia and Belarus have started nuclear weapon exercises as part of the “second stage” of drills between the countries known as the “Union State.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that the countries had started practicing the joint combat use of nonstrategic nuclear weapons.

Vladimir Putin last month announced nuclear weapons drills would take place amid heightened tension over his full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Kremlin’s rhetoric about the use of such arms.

The ministry’s statement said the Tuesday exercises were aimed at preparing troops and equipment “to unconditionally ensure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Union State.”

The ministry released video from unspecified locations that showed an Iskander missile system being driven and its missiles raised. Also in the clip were MiG-31 supersonic interceptors with Kinzhal missiles and Tupolev Tu-22M3 long-range supersonic bombers.

The exercises started on May 21 in Russia’s Southern Military District in what the ministry had previously said were linked to “provocative statements and threats” by the West against Russia.

On Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said its troops were trained to arm and deploy Iskander missiles while its Air Force practiced arming Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. Russian and Belarusian units were also trained “for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.”

Newsweek reached out to the Belarusian Defense Ministry and the U.S. State Department for comment.

Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus who retained power after a crackdown following a disputed election in 2020, is Putin’s closest ally. While he has avoided Belarus taking a direct role in Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the country has been used as a staging post for attacks.

But there has been speculation that Minsk could play a bigger role in Ukraine sparked by a deal signed by the leaders in January cementing closer economic ties with Moscow.

Last year, Russian tactical warheads were transported to Belarus after which Minsk introduced into its military doctrine the possibility of using them in response to external threats.

However, Putin has insisted that the weapons in Belarus are completely under Moscow’s control. The Institute for the Study of War noted in January there were no indications Russia or Belarus seeks nuclear escalation and their use of nuclear weapons “remains unlikely.”

But Putin continues to send ambiguous messages about Russia’s intentions, last week saying that Moscow had no need to use nuclear weapons to secure victory in Ukraine.

Update 06/11/24, 7:12 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.