The Belarusian ruler, Alexander Lukashenko, has said that Russia has begun moving tactical nuclear warheads for storage to Belarus, adding that it was possible that the weapons had already arrived in his country. The plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on foreign soil is Russia’s first since 1991. Russia has said it will maintain control over the tactical nuclear weapons, which may be launched on Iskander-M missiles or from Su-25 planes, both of which Belarus has in its arsenal. The transfer will further align Russia and Belarus’ militaries as Russia seeks a closer alliance with Minsk, which some have predicted will lead to Belarus’s loss of sovereignty. Prigozhin has grown extremely critical of the Russian military, accusing Shoigu and other senior military officials of depriving his troops of shells and other ammunition.

Source: The Guardian May 25, 2023 20:02 UTC