Russia : Russia will start deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus after the facilities are ready on July 7-8, President Vladimir Putin told his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Friday.
“So everything is according to plan, everything is stable,” Mr Putin said in a meeting in Sochi, according to a readout from the Kremlin.
The two men had previously agreed the plan to deploy Russian land-based short-range nuclear missiles on the territory of Moscow’s close ally, where they will remain under Russian command.
The announcement came as Ukraine’s long-awaited counter-offensive appears to have begun.
Nato-trained units and western tanks are spearheading its ground offensive, according to images emerging from the front line.
Images posted by Russian military bloggers, which appear genuine, show Nato-standard battle tanks and fighting vehicles pushing towards Tokmak in Ukraine’s occupied south.
Kyiv has maintained a strict silence about its much-anticipated counter-attack, but three senior US officials were quoted in reports on Thursday confirming the operation was under way.
