Russia will soon deliver nuclear-capable missiles to Belarus, according to President Vladimir Putin.
As Putin announced on Saturday at a meeting with Belarusian head of state Alexander Lukashenko, Russia will deliver the Iskander-M missile system to Belarus “in the coming months”, which can also be equipped with nuclear warheads.
According to Russian media, the cruise missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers.
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.
The Belarusian army has many Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jets, which could be "improved" accordingly, Putin said at a meeting with Lukashenko in St. Petersburg.
The modernization has to be carried out in aircraft factories in Russia, and staff training can begin at the same time.
The rearmament plans in the midst of the Ukraine conflict are likely to cause new tensions between Moscow and the West.
Starting Sunday, the heads of state and government of the G-7 countries will meet at Schloss Elmau in the Bavarian Alps.
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.
Attacks on Ukraine also came from Belarus.
Since the start of the military operation in late February, Putin has spoken publicly about nuclear weapons several times, which is seen as a warning to the West not to intervene in the Ukraine conflict.