Kremlin says nuclear exercises in Belarus are signal to NATO

Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, has said that the joint Russian-Belarusian nuclear military exercises are a signal to NATO and Europe.

Source: TASS, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet; the Russian Telegram channel Vy Slushali ("You Listened"); other Russian media outlets

Details: Asked whether the joint nuclear exercises of Russia and Belarus were a signal to Europe and NATO, Peskov replied: "Any exercises are part of military development, and any exercises are a signal."

Previously:

• On the morning of 21 May, the Belarusian Ministry of Defence stated that Russia, as part of the exercises, had delivered nuclear munitions to field storage points on the territory of Belarus and published a corresponding video. Russian news agencies reported that Iskander-M systems with special munitions had been deployed during the nuclear forces exercises in Belarus.
• The Security Service of Ukraine, together with Ukraine's defence forces, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the National Police, are carrying out enhanced security measures in the northern oblasts of Ukraine.

Background:

• On 15 May, following a meeting with the military leadership, intelligence agencies and the Security Service of Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine continued to record Russian attempts to draw Belarus further into the war against Ukraine and had instructed the defence forces to prepare a response plan.
• The Belarusian Defence Ministry announced that exercises involving units responsible for the combat use of nuclear weapons began on 18 May in cooperation with Russian forces.
• The Russian Defence Ministry stated that the exercises involve more than 64,000 service members, over 7,800 pieces of military equipment and weapons, including more than 200 missile launch systems, over 140 aircraft, 73 surface vessels and 13 submarines, 8 of which are strategic missile submarines.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine described the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and the joint nuclear exercises of the two dictatorships as an unprecedented challenge to the global security architecture and called on international partners to respond firmly.
• Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO, warned that Russia would face devastating consequences if it dared to use nuclear capabilities against Ukraine during the joint exercises with Belarus.

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