Putin announced plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus

Vladimir Putin said that Russia intends to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, while they will not be transferred under the control of the republic. The President announced this in an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin on the Russia 24 TV channel.

According to Putin, the construction of a storage facility for Russian tactical nuclear weapons will be completed in Belarus on July 1. He added that Moscow had already handed over to Minsk Iskander missile systems that could carry such charges.

The "reason" for such a decision was the statement of the Deputy Minister of Defense of Great Britain that "they are going to supply shells to Ukraine with depleted uranium," the president said. He also said that Alyaksandr Lukashenka has been raising the issue of deploying Russian nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus for a long time.

The leader of the Belarusian opposition, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, called such a move a violation of the country's constitution and added that it was contrary to the will of the Belarusian people.

“Russia is acting as an occupying power, violating national security and putting Belarus on a collision course with its neighbors and the international community,” she said.

At the same time, the Pentagon noted that they see no signs of Putin's readiness to use his nuclear weapons. “We have seen reports of Russian statements and will continue to monitor the situation,” the agency said in a statement.

Sources: Russia 24 , BBC Russian Service , Reuters

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