BLUF
Russia plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Putin claims this doesn’t violate non-proliferation agreements. Tactical weapons are used for specific battlefield tactical gains rather than destroying large cities. The US is concerned about Russia's tactical nuclear weapon capability.Summary
Guy Faulconbridge writing in U.S.News makes the following points:
- Russian Iskander missiles can carry conventional and nuclear warheads.
- Iskander’s are stationed in Kalingrad- an isolated part of Russia on the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Poland.
- Russia has more tactical nuclear weapons than the US.
- After the collapse of the Soviet Union, nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan were returned to Russia.
- Since then, Russia has not announced any nuclear weapon deployments outside its borders.
References
Recent Runway Posts related to this topic:
- How the Russia-Ukraine war can and cannot end (Opinion) - The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
- 60 years after the Cuban missile crisis, Russia's threats reignite Cold War fears - The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
References from the Web:
- MAR 2023 Why does Russia want tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus?-Aljazeera
- MAR 2023 Russia plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Putin says-CNN
