Minsk — Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko confirmed on Tuesday that Moscow and Minsk jointly rehearsed the launch of Russian tactical nuclear weapons stationed on Belarusian soil, a move that has sharpened concern across NATO’s eastern flank.
The drills, conducted under the Zapad-2025 banner, tested a wide range of scenarios, from conventional maneuvers to nuclear contingencies. “We are practising everything there … from firing conventional small arms to nuclear warheads,” Lukashenko said, while insisting the exercises were not meant to threaten neighboring countries.
Belarus has become a forward platform for Russia’s force posture, hosting Russian tactical nuclear weapons while renovating Soviet-era storage facilities for the deployments. The forward placement of those arms, which Moscow retains command and control of, has unsettled capitals in Warsaw and the Baltic states.
The war games also showcased advanced delivery systems, including the Oreshnik hypersonic missile that Moscow tested in combat last year, along with long-range cruise missile practice by strategic bombers and escort fighters. The drills combined land, sea, and air components in coordinated exercises intended to demonstrate integrated readiness.
Western officials said the rehearsals underline a growing integration of Belarus into Russia’s military architecture, strengthening Minsk’s strategic value to Moscow and complicating NATO planning along the alliance’s eastern edge. Poland and other neighbors have taken precautionary measures amid the exercises, and NATO leaders have signaled concern about the lowering of thresholds around nuclear scenarios.
For readers following regional analysis, this development ties into broader Eastern Herald coverage of Moscow’s military posture and diplomatic messaging. See our reporting on how Russia responds to NATO exercises in Scandinavia and on regional diplomacy, including statements where the Iran foreign ministry condemns Israel’s Syria airstrikes, underscoring how anti-Western alliances are strengthening.
As the Zapad-2025 exercises conclude, officials and analysts warned that routine training with nuclear components raises the stakes for miscalculation at a time of heightened tensions in the region. For now, Moscow and Minsk describe the maneuvers as disciplinary and defensive; European capitals read them as a calibrated signal of deterrence and influence. According to Reuters, Russia and Belarus are rehearsing the launch of Russian tactical nuclear weapons as part of their joint war games.
