Russian defense minister: Moscow to control Russian nukes in Belarus

May 25, BPN. Belarusian leadership will not be authorized to control tactical nuclear weapons that Russia plans to deploy in Belarus, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has told his Belarusian counterpart Viktar Chrenin at their meeting in Minsk.

“Additional measures may be taken in the future to ensure the security of the Union State [of Russia and Belarus] and respond to the military and political situation,” TASS reported quoting Shoigu.

Both countries “comply with all current international legal obligations,” he noted.

Shoigu and Chrenin have signed documents regulating the operation of a storage facility for Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus two months after Vladimir Putin’s announcement of the construction of a special storage facility for Russian nukes in Belarus. Russia plans to build it by July 1.