Belarus Rattles Europe With Drills Involving Russian Tactical Nukes

The Belarusian Defense Ministry announced Monday that its specialized military units have kicked off surprise combat drills specifically focused on the deployment and use of tactical nuclear weapons, which is a sign of yet more atomic saber-rattling on Europe's eastern flank.

According to the official statement blasted out across Telegram on Monday: "Today, in the interests of increasing the readiness of the armed forces for the use of modern weapons, including special ammunition, training of military units for the combat use of nuclear weapons and nuclear support has begun under the leadership of the chief of the General Staff of the armed forces," the ministry wrote.

The Kremlin-aligned state is moving hardware and testing infrastructural elements required to field atomic ordnance.

According to the ministry, the drills are designed to verify the readiness of weapons and military equipment to execute combat operations out of non-traditional, surprise launch areas.

Dual-capable delivery platforms have reportedly been been moved into position: "Military units of the missile forces and aviation are involved in the event. During the training, in cooperation with the Russian side, it is planned to practice delivering nuclear weapons and preparing them for use," the ministry said.

But interestingly, Belarus's Ministry of Defense also stressed that this event "is not directed against third countries and poses no threat to security in the region."

Belarusian drills are typically deeply integrated to 'Union State' operations. Under a formal mutual defense pact, Moscow has long pledged that any attack threatening the very existence of Belarus could be met with a Russian nuclear response.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has at the same time long welcomed and touted that ally President Putin authorized the stationing of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which borders Poland.

This has long been a major concern of NATO, and the nukes were reportedly transferred there - under the oversight of Russian military officers - in the context of the escalating Ukraine war and threats and counter-threats hurled between Moscow and the West.

Ukraine and Europe are predictably quite angry and nervous over the development, naturally. A Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement said, "By turning Belarus into its ‌nuclear staging ground near NATO borders, the Kremlin is de facto legitimizing the proliferation of nuclear weapons worldwide ⁠and setting a dangerous ⁠precedent for other authoritarian regimes."