MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. Russian troops delivered nuclear warheads to a missile brigade in Belarus during strategic nuclear drills, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported.
"As part of the nuclear forces exercise, nuclear munitions have been delivered to field storage sites of a missile brigade’s deployment area in the Republic of Belarus. The personnel of the missile brigade of the Republic of Belarus are practicing combat training assignments of receiving special munitions for Iskander-M theater missile systems, loading launch tubes with them and stealthily advancing to the designated area to prepare for launches," the ministry said in a statement.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on May 19 that its nuclear forces had kicked off a major exercise to practice the use of nuclear weapons amid an aggression threat.
Overall, the drills involve over 64,000 military personnel, more than 7,800 pieces of armament, military and special equipment, including over 200 missile launchers, more than 140 aircraft, 73 surface ships and 13 submarines, among them eight strategic missile-carrying submarine cruisers, according to the ministry’s data.
The drills are set to practice readying some of nuclear forces’ units and formations for accomplishing assigned objectives and rendering them comprehensive logistical support, and also carrying out test-launches of ballistic and cruise missiles at practice ranges across Russia, it specified.
The drills are also focused on measures to practice jointly preparing and employing nuclear weapons based on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, the ministry said.