Moscow tightens its grip on Belarus through joint nuclear exercises
Aleksandr Lukashenko at the military drills in Belarus, May 21 (Photo: President of the Republic of Belarus/Handout via REUTERS)
Joint tactical nuclear exercises highlight Moscow’s deepening de facto control over the country and its ability to utilize Minsk for future military operations, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on May 21.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Belarusian dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko personally presided over the second phase of the joint nuclear drills on May 21, analysts noted.
During the exercises, Russian Defense Ministry announced that its forces transferred nuclear warheads to Belarus. Meanwhile, Belarusian troops practiced the receipt, integration, and deployment of specialized munitions and launch systems for the Iskander-M ballistic missile complex.
Following the maneuvers, Putin revealed that Russia and Belarus plan to hold the biennial "Union Shield 2027" exercises, noting they may "include a nuclear component for the first time."
Deployment of Russian nuclear weapons for exercises on Belarusian soil reveals the true extent to which Moscow has absorbed Belarus into its sphere of total control, the ISW assessed.
While Belarusian constitution formerly enshrined the nation as a non-nuclear state, Lukashenko regime orchestrated amendments in 2022 to abandon the country's neutrality and non-nuclear status — a move analysts believe was driven by intense pressure from the Kremlin.
The ISW assessed that these joint maneuvers reflect the rapid deterioration of Belarusian sovereignty, effectively expanding Russia's capacity to exploit the country as a springboard for its own military objectives.
Belarusian Defense Ministry initially announced the launch of joint nuclear combat readiness drills with Russia on May 18. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov explicitly framed the exercises as a direct "signal to NATO."
On May 21, Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the successful delivery of nuclear munitions to field storage facilities of a missile brigade located within Belarus as part of the operational training.
Amid the escalating rhetoric and military posturing, Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced tightened security measures across five northern Ukrainian oblasts bordering both Russia and Belarus.
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