Russia completes delivery of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus

(Patria) - Belarusian President said on Monday that Russia has completed the delivery of tactical nuclear weapons to his country, an initiative that has caused great concern in neighboring Poland and elsewhere in the region, AP reported.

President Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting of the economic bloc in St. Petersburg that deliveries were completed in October, but did not provide details on how many weapons were sent or where they were deployed.

Tactical nuclear weapons, intended for use on the battlefield, have a short range and low yield compared to the much more powerful nuclear warheads mounted on long-range missiles. Russia has said it will retain control over those it sends to Belarus.

Lukashenko said the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in his country is intended to deter aggression from NATO member Poland. Poland provides neighboring Ukraine with military, humanitarian and political support in its fight against the Russian invasion and participates in international sanctions against Russia and Belarus.

Russian troops based in Belarus attacked Ukraine from the north in the early days of the war, but it is not known whether Belarusian forces participated.