Moscow wants allies to go to war
Russia will deliver nuclear-capable missiles to Belarus “in the coming months”.
Russia will soon deliver nuclear-capable missiles to Belarus – and is also offering its ally to upgrade warplanes. The rearmament plans are likely to cause new tensions between Moscow and the West.
Published: 06/25/2022 at 23:10
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Updated: 06/26/2022 at 00:15
Russia will soon deliver nuclear-capable missiles to Belarus, according to President Vladimir Putin. As Russian President Vladimir Putin (69) announced on Saturday at a meeting with Belarusian head of state Alexander Lukashenko (67), Russia will deliver the Iskander-M missile system to Belarus “in the coming months”, which can also be equipped with nuclear warheads.
Lukashenko had already announced the planned purchase of Iskander missiles and S-400 air defense systems from Russia in May. Putin has now also promised Lukashenko to help upgrade Belarusian warplanes so that they can also transport nuclear weapons in the future.
At the meeting, Putin also stated that the United States had deployed 200 tactical nuclear warheads on the territory of European NATO countries. Belarus should be protected once morest a potential threat from the West.
Kyiv: Moscow wants to “pull Belarus into the war”
Following Ukrainian reports of Russian rocket attacks from Belarus, the leadership in Kyiv has accused Russia of wanting to involve its ally Belarus in the war. “Today’s attack is directly related to the Kremlin’s efforts to drag Belarus into the war in Ukraine as a comrade-in-arms fighter,” the General Directorate of Ukraine’s Intelligence Service, which reports to the Defense Ministry, told Telegram on Saturday.
Around 5 a.m. (4 a.m. CEST), the Chernihiv region was massively attacked with rockets, the Ukrainian army’s northern command said on Facebook. “20 rockets” were launched “from Belarusian territory and from the air” at the village of Desna, the statement said. So there were no victims. The Ukrainian army said that infrastructure had been hit, without saying whether it was military infrastructure.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, “six Tu-22M3 planes shot down 12 cruise missiles over the town of Petrykav,” located in southern Belarus. The bombers took off from Shaykovka Airport in the Kaluga region of western Russia, the secret service said. They then entered Belarusian airspace and returned to Russia following the missiles were launched. (AFP)
Following Ukrainian reports of Russian rocket attacks from Belarus, the leadership in Kyiv has accused Russia of wanting to involve its ally Belarus in the war. “Today’s attack is directly linked to the Kremlin’s efforts to drag Belarus into the war in Ukraine as a comrade-in-arms fighter,” the General Directorate of Ukraine’s Intelligence Service, which reports to the Defense Ministry, told Telegram on Saturday.
Around 5 a.m. (4 a.m. CEST), the Chernihiv region was massively attacked with rockets, the Ukrainian army’s northern command said on Facebook. “20 rockets” were launched “from Belarusian territory and from the air” at the village of Desna, the statement said. So there were no victims. The Ukrainian army said that infrastructure had been hit, without saying whether it was military infrastructure.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, “six Tu-22M3 planes shot down 12 cruise missiles over the town of Petrykav,” located in southern Belarus. The bombers took off from Shaykovka Airport in the Kaluga region of western Russia, the secret service said. They then entered Belarusian airspace and returned to Russia following the missiles were launched. (AFP)
Armament plans are likely to create new tensions
The Belarusian army has many Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jets, which might be “improved” accordingly, Putin said at a meeting with Lukashenko in St. Petersburg. The modernization must be carried out in aircraft factories in Russia, and at the same time staff training can begin.
The rearmament plans in the midst of the Ukraine conflict are likely to cause new tensions between Moscow and the West. Belarus borders Ukraine and several NATO countries, but is a close ally of Russia. Belarus has repeatedly provided diplomatic and logistical support for the Russian military offensive in Ukraine, and attacks on Ukraine have also been launched from Belarus.
Since the start of the military operation in late February, Putin has spoken publicly regarding nuclear weapons several times, which is seen as a warning to the West not to intervene in the Ukraine conflict. (AFP/kes)
