Russia to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus

President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Putin has sent a warning to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) over its military support for Ukraine and escalating a standoff with the West.

Ukraine has responded to Putin’s move by calling for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

What are tactical nuclear weapons?

• Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield, unlike more powerful, longer-range strategic nuclear weapons with the capacity to wipe out cities. 

• They have a relatively short range and a much lower yield than nuclear warheads fitted to long-range strategic missiles that are capable of obliterating whole cities.

• Unlike the strategic weapons, which have been subject to arms control agreements between Moscow and Washington, the tactical weapons never have been limited by any such pacts.

• The US government believes Russia has about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, which include bombs that can be carried by aircraft, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery rounds.

• Tactical nuclear weapons are stored at a few tightly guarded storage facilities in Russia, and it takes time to deliver them to combat units.

Why has Putin taken such a decision?

• The immediate trigger for the deployment of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus was Britain’s decision to provide Ukraine with armour-piercing shells containing depleted uranium.

• Putin did not specify when the weapons would be transferred to Belarus.

• The Russian President likened his plans to the US stationing its weapons in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. 

• He said that Russia would not be transferring control to Belarus.

• Putin alleged the Russian move doesn’t violate an international treaty banning the proliferation of nuclear weapons, even though Moscow has argued before that the US has breached the pact by deploying them on the territory of its NATO allies.

• However, Putin’s move contrasted with a statement he and Chinese President Xi Jinping issued after their talks in the Kremlin last week, which spoke against nuclear powers deploying atomic weapons outside their territories.

Russia, Belarus step up joint military training

• Belarus is a landlocked country. It is bordered by Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest, by Russia to the north and east, by Ukraine to the south, and by Poland to the west.

• Belarus has a 1,084-kilometer border with Ukraine.

• The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus would allow Russian aircraft and missiles to reach potential targets there more easily and quickly if Moscow decides to use them. It would also extend Russia’s capability to target several NATO members in eastern and central europe.

• Putin did not specify when the weapons would be transferred to Belarus, which has borders with three NATO members — Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. He said Russia would complete the construction of a storage facility there by July 1.

• The transfer would expand Russia’s nuclear strike ability along NATO’s eastern border.

• While the Belarusian army has not formally fought in Ukraine, Minsk and Moscow have a close military relationship.

• Minsk allowed Moscow to use Belarusian territory to send troops into Ukraine last year and the two nations stepped up joint military training.

• Russia helped modernise Belarusian military aircraft last year to make them capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

• Russia also has given Belarus the Iskander short-range missile systems that can be fitted with conventional or nuclear warheads.

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