MINSK, 9 May (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia see nuclear arms only as deterrence weapons. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement in front of reporters after taking part in Victory Day festivities in Pobedy Square on 9 May, BelTA has learned.
Commenting on the ongoing exercise designed to practice the employment of non-strategic nuclear weapons, the head of state came up with a simple analogy: you have to keep an assault rifle in good order if you want it to fire. And it is necessary to practice firing it if you want to fire well.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “Nuclear weapons are terrible weapons. We, the leadership of Russia often stress that these are non-strategic weapons. God forbid if anyone grabs that button, too. Although today’s tactical weapons are many times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thousands upon thousands of people can be killed by one explosion. It is a terrible weapon. But it is a weapon. And in order to use such a weapon, you have to practice. You have to know how to do it. It was my initiative. Putin mentioned that. I phoned him and said we should act in sync in this regard. And we had one goal: we wanted to see how leading nuclear powers do all of it. We are learning after all.”
There was a reason behind the public announcement of the upcoming exercise involving the nuclear weapons in Belarus. The president remarked that tensions in the world are on the rise. The escalation primarily originates from Ukraine. But things are hot in various parts of the planet. The Middle East is already ablaze. The situation in the Pacific Ocean is not simple either.
“We have never been closer to a nuclear catastrophe. What are we to do in this situation? We have to learn how to shoot an assault rifle and keep our powder dry, including these deadly weapons,” the head of state said.
He stressed that Belarus and Russia see nuclear arms only as deterrence weapons. “We don’t need someone else’s things. Neither does Russia. We have everything. We just have to be able to work normally and use the riches Russia has and we have for our own benefit. If we can do that, then things will be normal. But they lack something,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.
The president pointed out that the United States of America is also practicing the use of nuclear weapons in Europe. However, it is not done publicly.
“What should we do in this situation? We have made a public statement about it. We have aircraft for carrying nuclear munitions in the form of bombs. We have well-trained guys. As for Iskander missiles, which are impossible to intercept, they are totally invulnerable. This is why we tell them: guys, calm down, we have everything,” the Belarusian leader said.
The inspection of the platforms of the non-strategic nuclear weapons includes three stages. Military personnel practiced preparing the warheads first. Now the general staffs are synchronizing their interaction. Results of the inspection will be summed up during the third stage.
“We are not going to attack anyone. But everyone needs to understand that we will retaliate. And all those talks that he draws no lines are absolutely correct. I am not a fool but I draw no lines,” the Belarusian leader stated.
BelTA reported earlier that the general staffs of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia are conducting a test of forces and assets of the joint regional military force, during which matters concerning the application of non-strategic nuclear weapons will be practiced for the first time.
During a test of the platforms designed to carry the non-strategic nuclear weapons the special munitions will be delivered to missile forces and Air Force units. The munitions will be loaded into launch vehicles and attached to aircraft. Squadrons of tactical missile systems Iskander and Polonez will clandestinely move to designated deployment areas where they will practice delivering missile strikes to repulse a probable attack against Belarus.
The use of the non-strategic nuclear weapons is being practiced for defensive purposes.
