In March, Mr. Putin announced his agreement to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, alluding to the US's deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in a number of European countries for decades.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Reuters
“Everything is going according to plan,” Mr Putin told Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko over a meal at his summer retreat in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
"The preparation of relevant facilities will end on July 7 or July 8, and we will immediately begin activities related to the deployment of appropriate types of weapons on the territory of Belarus," Putin said.
Mr Putin's nuclear moves are being closely watched by both the US and its NATO allies in Europe and China, which has repeatedly warned of the risk of using nuclear weapons in conflict.
The US has criticised Russia's nuclear deployment but said it had no intention of changing its stance on strategic nuclear weapons and had seen no signs that Russia was preparing to use nuclear weapons.
The war in Ukraine has sparked what both Moscow and Washington call the deepest crisis in relations since the Cold War. Major nuclear arms control treaties have also since collapsed.
Mr Putin, who has the final say on any nuclear launches, said Iskander mobile short-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads had been delivered to Belarus.
Russian sources say the Iskander has a range of 500 km. Belarus says the Su-25 has been modified to carry the missile. Russian sources say the Sukhoi-25 jet has a range of up to 1,000 km.
If the weapons were launched from Belarus' main air base outside Minsk, they would be capable of reaching almost all of Eastern Europe, including a host of NATO members, as well as major cities like Berlin and Stockholm.
Russia has not announced any deployment of nuclear weapons outside its borders. Meanwhile, Mr. Putin has repeatedly noted that the US B61 tactical nuclear warheads have been deployed at bases in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Türkiye.
Quoc Thien (according to TASS, Reuters)
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