ST. PETERSBURG, June 16. /TASS/. The first Russian nuclear warheads have already been delivered to Belarus and the entire batch will be deployed by the end of the year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

"As you know, we held talks with our union state, with President [of Belarus Alexander] Lukashenko on deploying part of these tactical weapons to Belarusian territory. It has happened - the first nuclear warheads have been delivered to Belarusian territory. This is the first batch. We will complete this work by the end of this year," he said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

According to Putin, this measure will serve as a deterrent. "So that everyone who is thinking about hitting us strategically will not forget about this fact," he added.

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 had long been doing on the territory of its allies. Moscow has already provided Minsk with Iskander tactical missile systems capable of carrying nuclear weapons and has helped Minsk to re-equip its planes to carry specialized weapons. Missile crews and pilots have undergone training in Russia. At a meeting with Lukashenko on June 9, Putin said that the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus would begin immediately after operations to prepare facilities for their storage are over on July 7 or 8.

The 26th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) — Russia’s showcase annual economic and business event — is being held on June 14-17. The theme of this year’s forum is: "Sovereign Development as the Basis of a Just World: Joining Forces for Future Generations." TASS is the official information partner of the event.