Belarus prepares platform for Russia's strategic nuclear weapons, trains fighters in tactical handling

On the morning of Sunday, April 23, 2023, VoenTV, a television company subordinate to the ministry, aired a segment titled "Nuclear weapons in Belarus?".

According to the segment, the possibility of the placement of strategic nuclear weapons in the country is not ruled out. "And this is a completely different conversation," the segment notes.

The segment features a military officer in uniform whose face is partially obscured by a mask. He explains how he is preparing the site for the placement of Russian Topol nuclear missiles.

"We are at one of the sites in the area of the combat starting position, where the missile regiment of the (Soviet, - ed.) strategic troops was once located. Currently, works are being carried out here to improve the territory after the winter period, as well as other measures aimed at supporting the infrastructure in good condition," said the officer, whose rank and position are not disclosed.

He also affirmed that objects of strategic purpose, which were preserved as a legacy from the Soviet Union era, could be quickly prepared for use if needed. "At the moment, our task is to ensure, first of all, the preservation and support in readiness for use of the infrastructure that was left as a legacy of the strategic missile forces that were located here," he added.

The video includes a commemorative plaque indicating the 56th Missile Regiment and the 1692nd Repair and Technical Base of the Strategic Missile Forces of the USSR.

The 56th regiment was established in 1961, according to the Belarusian publication Reform. It was initially located in the area of Shereshevo and Yasen near Pruzhany, in the west of Belarus. Originally, the regiment was supposed to have two land and one mine divisions, but the mine facilities were not built. As a result, only two ground divisions remained in the regiment's staff.

The regiment was later relocated to Zymovichi. Initially on combat duty with R-12 missiles, after decommissioning in the mid-1980s, it was transferred to RSD-10 "Pioneer-K" (SS-20) missile systems.

Zymovichi is a suburb of Mozyr in the south of Belarus. The nearest Ukrainian city to Mozyr is Ovruch.

"Topol" missile complexes were introduced to it in the early 1990s. After Belarus gave up nuclear weapons at the same time as Ukraine and recorded it in the Budapest Memorandum, the regiment was withdrawn from combat duty in 1993, withdrawn to Russia, and disbanded in 1994, writes Nasha Niva.

In the same VoenTV segment, an anonymous Su-25 aircraft pilot confirms training under the auspices of Russia for the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

In addition, on the evening of April 22, 2023, the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus announced the completion of practical training in the Russian Federation of Belarusian calculations of the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile complex.

"Belarusian servicemen landed at Machulyshchi airfield after completing a full cycle of training at one of the training grounds of the armed forces of the Russian Federation," the announcement reads.

Russian Iskander missile complexes are tactical nuclear weapons, while Topol complexes are strategic, capable of hitting targets at much greater distances with a stronger warhead.

It is worth noting that Iskander-M from Russia is already on the territory of Belarus.