Russia moved nuclear warheads to field storage sites in Belarus on May 21, completing a three-day joint military exercise designed to simulate the use of tactical nuclear forces. The drills, which ran from May 18 to 21, involved Iskander-M missile systems and were overseen by both President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
What happened on the ground
The exercises focused on nuclear force readiness, with Russian forces delivering nuclear munitions to pre-positioned field storage facilities inside Belarus. Iskander-M missile systems, which are capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads, served as the primary delivery platform during the drills.
Belarus’s Defense Ministry described the exercises as planned and emphasized they were not targeted at any specific country.
The drills highlighted increasing interoperability between Belarusian missile brigades and Russian forces. Operational control of those warheads remains with Russia. Moscow isn’t handing Belarus the keys, it’s parking the car in their driveway.
