The presence of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory remains currently unlikely, General Staff Deputy Chief Oleksii Hromov told Ukrinform on July 5.
"It is necessary to create special conditions for the storage of nuclear munitions, to deploy a base for their maintenance. This is a very complex technological process," Hromov said in the interview.
"Today, the presence of nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus is unlikely," he said.
He did note, however, that it is difficult to assess the danger of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons given its complete disregard for international law as evidenced in Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka dam on June 6.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin signed an agreement on placing Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory on May 25. Shoigu reportedly said that control over the weaponry would remain with Moscow.
On June 14, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko claimed that his country had already received the first weapons shipment from Russia. This was reiterated by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on June 16.
Ukraine's military intelligence refuted these claims on June 20, saying that not "a single nuclear warhead" has been delivered so far.
Maria Yeryoma
