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Russia sends nuclear weapons to Belarus (Image: AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Friday, that Russia has transferred the first set of nuclear weapons to Belarus. The proclamation by the Russian president came during his address in St. Petersberg. On Friday, Putin gave his address at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. While the Russia-Ukraine war garnered the centre of attention at the forum, the Kremlin chief also boasted about the Russian economy.
“It happened, the first nuclear weapons were delivered to the territory of Belarus,” Putin said at a forum on Friday, Sky News reported. The confirmation from the Russian President came just days after his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko announced that Belarus has started taking the delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons. At that time, Lukashenko claimed that some of these weapons are “three times more powerful: than the atomic bombs that destroyed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. “The bombs are three times more powerful than those (dropped on) Hiroshima and Nagasaki”, Lukashenko exclaimed during his interview with the Russian state TV channel Rossiya-1.
The confirmation from both leaders came a week after the Russian President said that will start the process of deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus in July. Putin stated that the construction of special facilities necessary for the deployment is scheduled to end by July 7-8. However, both nations started to escalate the whole ordeal after Ukraine commenced its counter offence against the Russians on the Eastern front.
Last month, Russia and Belarus signed an agreement on the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus. At the time, Putin said the move was in response to growing security risks. The Kremlin stated that Moscow is taking these measures since it is concerned about the West arming Ukraine in the raging war. The announcement from Putin came after reports emerged that Ukraine is commencing its counteroffensive against the Russians.
At the forum held in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, Putin also boasted about the stability of the Russian economy despite all the sanctions from the West. “In April 2023, GDP increased 3.3 per cent, annualised, and is expected to add over one per cent by the end of the year,” Putin asserted. “This will enable our country to retain its place among the world’s leading economies,” he added. The Economic Forum has taken place in the Russian city annually since 1997. The theme of this year’s forum was “Sovereign Development as the Basis of a Just World: Joining Forces for Future Generations”.
This is a breaking copy. More details awaited.