As of: January 20, 2024, 7:14 p.m
By: Yekaterina Jalunina, Bona Hyun
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Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus, in the Palace of Independence.
© dpa/Jörg Carstensen
Belarusian leader Lukashenko confirmed receipt of Russian Iskander nuclear missile systems.
Belarus is also ramping up production of its own rockets.
Minsk – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has announced that Belarus has now received a nuclear-capable missile complex from Russia.
“We received a lot of ammunition, especially rockets,” he said.
He also thanked Vladimir Putin for supplying him with a nuclear-capable Iskander missile system.
“This is a particularly dangerous weapon,” Lukashenko was recently quoted as saying by
Ria Novosti
.
Lukashenko is apparently pushing ahead with rocket production
In addition, Lukashenko announced that Belarus is advancing rocket production independently and producing all components in its own country.
According to reports, Lukashenko said that Belarus has promising technologies in the fields of electronics, mathematics, laser optics and space programs.
“We do everything ourselves. Both the rocket launchers and the loading units.
And the rocket, that is the most difficult thing,” Lukashenko said
at a meeting with employees of the Belgi company, according to
Ria Novosti .
Back in September 2023, he announced that the country's military industry was working on developing its own missiles and would soon present its own missile.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (r) and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attend a plenary session of the 2nd Eurasian Economic Forum.
(Archive image) © IMAGO/Maxim Grigoryev
Belarus confirms nuclear weapons deployment in 2023
The president said that since nuclear weapons were available, everyone had "abandoned" and everyone else was stunned since the deployment, Lukashenko was quoted as saying by the Russian news portal
Ria Novosti
.
As early as July 2023, the Belarusian president confirmed the transfer of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarusian territory at a press conference in Minsk.
According to Lukashenko, the nuclear warheads are “under safe protection.”
He stressed that the use of these weapons would only occur in the event of “NATO aggression” against Belarus or Russia, in accordance with Russia’s national security doctrine.
Since then, Belarus has had nuclear warheads again for the first time since voluntarily giving up its nuclear weapons after the collapse of the Soviet Union, as Lukashenko announced.
However, the Belarusian armed forces are not capable of using nuclear weapons on their own - this can only be done in cooperation with Russia, according to Russian media reports.
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Until last year, the Belarusian constitution stipulated the country's nuclear weapons-free status.
Lukashenko had the constitution amended to allow for the deployment of nuclear weapons, made possible by a referendum in February 2022. This change not only allows the deployment of Russian troops and nuclear weapons, but also ensures Lukashenko further terms in office and lifelong impunity after a possible withdrawal from office.
(jek)