NUCLEAR DRILLS
Lukashenko said it was only natural that the Russian weapons were part of the Zapad exercises.
“We are practising everything there. They (the West) know this too, we are not hiding it. From firing conventional small arms to nuclear warheads. Again, we must be able to do all this. Otherwise, why would they be on Belarusian territory?” he said, while insisting Minsk was “not planning to threaten anyone”.
The Belarusian defence ministry confirmed the drills included the use of tactical nuclear weapons and deployment of Russia’s Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile.
Putin has said the Oreshniks, which he claims are impossible to intercept, could be deployed in Belarus in the second half of 2025.
US WATCHES CLOSELY
US President Donald Trump has begun cultivating closer ties with Lukashenko, long treated as a pariah by the West, and last week relaxed some sanctions on Belarus in return for the release of 52 prisoners including political opponents.
US military officers observed part of the Zapad exercises in Belarus on Monday.
Russia’s defence ministry said Tu-160 strategic bombers rehearsed launching cruise missiles over the Barents Sea, escorted by MiG-31 fighters.
In Murmansk, marines repelled an amphibious landing in drills backed by helicopters and drones. Ships from Russia’s Baltic Fleet and mobile launchers in Kaliningrad also test-fired cruise missiles, while troops practised locating enemy forces using reconnaissance systems.
