🇧🇾 Belarus Nuclear Warheads Hosted

In February 2022, Belarus amended its constitution to formally remove its status as a nuclear-free zone—reinstating the legal framework needed to station nuclear arms on its territory. By June 2022, Presidents Putin and Lukashenko reached an agreement to deploy Russian Iskander-M short-range missiles on Belarusian soil, laying the groundwork for tactical nuclear hosting.

Deployment Timeline & Host Facilities

• June 2023: President Lukashenko publicly confirmed that Russia had begun delivering tactical nuclear weapons, though initially these remained under Russian control.
• December 2024: Lukashenko stated Belarus now hosts "dozens" of Russian tactical warheads. These include nuclear-enabled Iskander-M missiles and modified Su-25 attack aircraft.
• Probable storage occurs at upgraded Cold War-era sites near military airbases in western Belarus, like Asipovichy, equipped with new secure perimeters.

Warhead Numbers & Capabilities

• Quantity: Current estimates indicate "dozens" (likely 20–50) of tactical warheads deployed.
• Delivery systems: Includes nuclear-capable Iskander-M ballistic missiles (500 km range) and enhanced Su-25 aircraft able to carry air-dropped nuclear bombs.
• Next-step deployments: Lukashenko requested Russia deploy its hypersonic Oreshnik missile system by late 2025, which may include nuclear payload options.
• Command and control: Warheads are formally controlled by Russia, though Belarusian officials claim joint decision-making authority ("double-button" launch protocols). Russian military personnel—including 12th GUMO specialists—appear to be stationed in Belarus to manage deployment and security logistics.

Strategic Implications

Belarus is now explicitly under Russia’s nuclear umbrella. Lukashenko has warned of immediate responses to any aggression. Adding nuclear weapons near Ukraine and NATO borders significantly heightens regional security tensions and raises the odds of miscalculation.

Belarus has become the first non-nuclear state since the Soviet collapse to redeploy nuclear weapons on its soil; with Russian control but asserted Belarusian authority over use. This installation undermines European security, complicates NPT norms, and places deeper strategic risk on NATO’s eastern flank. The planned introduction of hypersonic nuclear-capable missiles by 2025 could further shift the balance in Moscow’s favor.