MINSK, June 13. /TASS/. Minsk will receive tactical nuclear weapons from Russia in a few days, as all the preparations have already been made in this regard, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told reporters on Tuesday.
"Everything is ready. I think a few days will pass, and we will have what we asked for. And even a little more," the BelTA news agency quoted Lukashenko as saying. According to him, the conditions created for the storage of these weapons are comparable to the strict measures undertaken in an operating room.
The Belarusian side has complied with all the requirements, which was a pleasant surprise for Russia, he went on to say. "They say: Is it possible? Yes, it is," the president stressed.
"We've prepared everything and are implementing the program, which we've outlined with the president of Russia," Lukashenko said.
He said that arming several Belarusian Polonez missile systems with nuclear warheads was among his first proposals to Russia, but this turned out to be wishful thinking. So, the decision was made to transfer tactical nuclear weapons by first preparing the storage facilities.
On March 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that, at Minsk’s request, Moscow would deploy its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, similar to what the United States has long been doing on the territory of its allies. As the Russian leader indicated, the construction of storage facilities for tactical nuclear weapons will be completed in Belarus by July 1.
Moscow has already provided Minsk with Iskander tactical missile systems, which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, and has helped Minsk to re-equip its military aircraft to carry specialized weapons. Additionally, Belarusian missile crews and pilots have undergone training in Russia.
The deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus will begin immediately after the facilities for them are ready on July 7-8, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart in Sochi on June 9.