Belarus includes nuclear weapons in military strategy: ISW experts identify reason
Photo: ISW explained why Belarus introduced nuclear weapons into its military strategy (Getty Images)
Belarus has included a provision on the use of tactical nuclear weapons in its new military doctrine, possibly reflecting Russia's deployment of this type of weaponry in the country in 2023, according to the ISW report.
It is emphasized that the draft of Belarus's new military doctrine, for the first time, includes the use of Russian tactical nuclear weapons.
ISW analysts note that the specifics of how the new doctrine applies to tactical nuclear weapons are currently unclear. At the same time, experts have not detected any signs that Russia or Belarus are seeking nuclear escalation and continue to consider the use of nuclear weapons by Russia or Belarus as unlikely.
Transfer of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus
Yesterday, on January 16, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced that the country intends to update its military doctrine for the first time in eight years. Now, it is expected to include the use of nuclear weapons.
At the end of May 2023, the defense ministers of Russia and Belarus agreed on the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory.
Additionally, the aggressor country transferred Iskander-M missile complexes capable of launching nuclear-tipped missiles to the Belarusian military.
In late December 2023, dictator Alexander Lukashenko declared that Belarus had already received all the promised nuclear weapons from Russia.
