Russia has transferred nuclear munitions to field storage facilities in Belarus as part of large-scale nuclear exercises being conducted jointly by the two countries, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.
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The three-day drills, which began on Tuesday across Russia and Belarus, come at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Western countries over the conflict in Ukraine.
According to the ministry, missile units in Belarus are carrying out training exercises involving the handling of special munitions for the Iskander-M mobile missile system. The exercises include loading the munitions onto launch vehicles and secretly moving to designated launch positions.
The Russian Defence Ministry also released footage showing military vehicles operating in a forested area during adverse weather conditions, although the specific contents being unloaded were not clearly identified.
The Iskander-M missile system, designated by NATO as the SS-26 Stone, replaced the Soviet-era Scud missile system and has a range of up to 500 kilometres. The platform can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.
Throughout the conflict in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has repeatedly referenced Russia’s nuclear capabilities while warning Western nations against deeper involvement in support of Kyiv.
The developments also come amid rising tensions in the Baltic region. Russia recently criticized comments by Kestutis Budrys regarding NATO’s military capabilities near the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Kaliningrad, located between Lithuania and Poland, remains a strategically important and heavily militarised region serving as the headquarters of Russia’s Baltic Fleet.
