Belarus’s Defense Ministry has announced exercises for units responsible for the combat use and logistical support of nuclear weapons.

Among the stated goals, according to a Defense Ministry statement, is “verifying the readiness of weapons, military and specialized equipment to carry out missions and organizing combat use from unplanned positions.”

The main emphasis will be placed on working through issues of concealment, movement over significant distances, and conducting calculations for the employment of forces and assets.

The exercises are being conducted jointly with the Russian side, with which Belarus “plans to work through issues of delivering nuclear munitions and preparing them for use.”

The Defense Ministry described the exercises as scheduled in nature and stated they “are not directed against third countries and pose no security threats in the region.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus in late March 2023. At the time, he said that Iskander missile systems and 10 aircraft capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons had already been stationed there.

Russia maintains that it is not violating the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, as it is not transferring such weapons to Belarus but merely deploying them — under its own control — on Belarusian territory.