Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Moscow plans to install “tactical” nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus, an allied country on the doorstep of the European Union.
“There is nothing new here: the United States has been doing this for decades. It has long placed its tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of its allies,” Putin said in an interview broadcast on Russian television. “We have decided to do the same,” he added, stating that this decision was made after an agreement with the Belarusian government.
We have already helped our Belarusian allies. We have already equipped their aircraft (…) without violating our international obligations on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Ten aircraft are ready to use this kind of weapons,” Putin added.
“From April 3, we will start training crews. And on July 1, we will complete the construction of a special depot for tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus,” said the Russian leader.
In the same interview, the Russian president threatened to order the use of weapons with depleted uranium ammunition in Ukraine if the country receives such weapons from the West.
It is the Russian response after a British authority raised the possibility of sending this type of weapon to the theater of war.
“Russia, of course, has something to answer with. We have, no exaggeration, tens of thousands of such howitzers. At the moment we are not using them,” Putin said.
Depleted uranium ammunition is not a nuclear weapon and does not emit high doses of radioactivity. These are projectiles used against tanks and other armored vehicles, extremely effective given their high density.
Source: DN
