Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
NATO has warned Russia of “devastating” consequences.
Russia has officially moved nuclear weapons into neighboring Belarus as part of a massive combat drill. The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the delivery on Thursday. It comes during a highly tense moment for the region.
According to Reuters, this three-day nuclear exercise kicked off on Tuesday. The high-stakes drills are taking place across both Russia and Belarus. Moscow claims it is locked in an existential struggle with Western nations over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The ministry released a formal statement about the deployment. “As part of the nuclear forces exercise, nuclear munitions were delivered to the field storage facilities of the missile brigade’s position area in the Republic of Belarus,” the ministry said.
It is unclear whether the nuclear munitions will be transferred back to Russian territory when the drills end.
Hiding in the forest
Military units in Belarus are now learning how to handle these specific weapons. Local forces are actively training with the advanced Iskander-M tactical missile system, a mobile guided weapon platform that NATO officially calls the SS-26 Stone.
Soldiers are practicing how to load the warheads onto launch vehicles. They are also rehearsing how to move through the countryside undetected to prepare for sudden strikes. This system replaced the old Soviet Scud missile system. It can easily hit targets up to 300 miles away.
Officials also released dramatic video footage of the secret operations. The clip shows a heavy truck driving through a dark forest during a lightning storm. Troops then unload a large, unidentified object in the rain.
Insanity on the border
Throughout the war, President Vladimir Putin has used his nuclear arsenal to send clear warnings to the West. He wants to stop NATO from giving too much support to Ukraine. But the rhetoric is heating up elsewhere too.
The Kremlin recently lashed out at Lithuania’s top diplomat. Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys suggested that NATO needs to show Russia it can penetrate the heavily armed enclave of Kaliningrad. Moscow immediately fired back.
Russian officials called the minister’s words “something verging on insanity” on Wednesday. Kaliningrad sits between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic coast. It is home to around one million people and serves as the primary base for Russia’s powerful Baltic Fleet.
Rutte: “Devastating” consequences
Following the unannounced launch of the nuclear drills, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said at a press conference in Brussels that Russia will face “devastating” consequences if the Kremlin decides to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
“And when it comes to these exercises, of course, we follow them, we monitor what is happening, and that’s it,” he added.
Sources: Reuters, RBC-Ukraine, United24Media, Russian Ministry of Defence
