Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko charges that Kyiv has stationed more than 120,000 soldiers along Ukraine’s border with Belarus, and says that he is deploying military formations along his own country’s entire border with Ukraine in response. In an interview with Rossiya TV Aug. 18, Lukashenko accused Ukraine of attempting to provoke a nuclear strike from Russia, which has warheads deployed in Belarus. “The worry is that escalation on Ukraine’s part is an attempt to force Russia to take asymmetric actions,” Lukasheno said. “Let’s consider the usage of nuclear weapons. I am confident that Ukraine would be pleased if Russia or we utilized tactical nuclear weapons there. That would bring them joy.” (Ukrainska Pravda, Radio Australia, Al Jazeera)
Lukashenko’s comment comes as Ukraine has launched an incursion into Russian territory, and follows numerous nuclear threats from Russian and Belarusian officials.
Map: PCL
Russia simulates ‘massive’ response to a nuclear attack
Russia test-fired missiles over distances of thousands of miles Oct. 29 to simulate a “massive” nuclear response to an enemy first strike.
“Given the growing geopolitical tensions and the emergence of new external threats and risks, it is important to have modern and constantly ready-to-use strategic forces,” President Vladimir Putin said as he announced the exercise.
A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome in northwest Russia to Kamchatka, a peninsula in the far east. Sineva and Bulava ballistic missiles were fired from submarines, and cruise missiles were launched from strategic bomber planes, the defense ministry said. (Reuters)