Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday that Russia had started transferring nuclear weapons to his country, fulfilling the commitment Vladimir Putin announced in March.
• Also read: The Wagner group begins surrendering Bachmout to the Russian army
• Also read: Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking one of its ships in Turkish waters
Russia, on the other hand, initially did not comment.
“The transfer of nuclear charges has started, it has already started,” Lukashenko replied to a question from a Russian journalist in a video broadcast by the unofficial Belarusian presidential channel Telegram, Pul Pervogo.
Mr Lukashenko, who was in Moscow for a regional summit on Thursday, could not say whether the weapons in question were already in his country.
“Maybe I’ll go back and see,” said the Belarusian leader and Russia’s main ally.
Mr Lukashenko explained that the day before Mr Putin informed him that he had signed the decree authorizing the transfer.
- Hear the latest developments on the war in Ukraine with expert Justin Massie on Philippe-Vincent Foisy’s broadcast QUB radio:
The Russian President announced on March 25 that Moscow would deploy “tactical” nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus, a country on the doorstep of the European Union, raising fears of an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
The announcement had drawn criticism from the international community, particularly in the West, as the Russian leader had raised the possibility of resorting to nuclear weapons since the start of his attack on his Ukrainian neighbor in February 2022.
The exile opponent Svetalana Tikhanovskaïa described on Thursday a threat for the entire European continent.
“It not only endangers the lives of Belarusians, but also creates a new threat for Ukraine, for all of Europe,” wrote Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa on Twitter.
“When it comes to tactical nuclear weapons, most are as powerful as the one that killed 140,000 people in Hiroshima,” she added.
So-called “tactical” nuclear weapons can cause immense damage, but their destruction radius is smaller than that of “strategic” nuclear weapons.
In early April, Russia said it had started training the Belarusian military in the use of “tactical” nuclear weapons.
Moreover, Mr. Putin has pointed out in the past that in Belarus ten aircraft have already been equipped to use such weapons, and by July 1 a special storage facility will be ready.
Belarus is not directly engaged in Ukraine, but has lent its territory to the Russian army to launch its attack in February 2022.