Belarus and Russia conduct joint military exercises on Belarusian territory that rehearse the use and deployment of Russian nuclear weapons. Multiple outlets report that the drills take place in Belarus and involve Belarusian and Russian forces training together for “nuclear weapons” or “use of nuclear forces.” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is described as allowing Russia to deploy some tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, and Belarus says the exercise is meant to test readiness.
Several sources also note the regional context: growing tensions involving NATO member states in the Baltic area and criticism from neighboring countries, particularly Ukraine, and NATO allies. Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle say Ukraine and NATO have expressed strong objections to the exercise, including concerns that it legitimizes nuclear proliferation.
France 24 adds that the Belarus defense ministry characterizes the drills as involving Russian nuclear-capable systems, and refers to recent developments such as Russia deploying hypersonic missiles to Belarus in 2023 and revised Russian doctrine in 2024 placing Belarus under Russia’s nuclear umbrella. Overall, the reporting is consistent that the exercise is a coordinated rehearsal of nuclear-capable operations rather than a reported nuclear detonation or launch.
