They are preparing a deadly weapon: It is terrifying... Escalation is underway

After participating in the Victory Day ceremony in Moscow, he told reporters that for Belarus and Russia, nuclear weapons are only deterrence weapons.

"Nuclear weapons are terrifying weapons. But they are weapons. So, in order to use such weapons, we have to practice, we have to know how to handle them. Escalation is going on. What should we do in this situation? We have to keep the gunpowder dry, including this deadly weapon," Lukashenko said, TASS reported.

The Ministry of Defense of Russia announced on Monday that, on the order of President Vladimir Putin, an exercise of missile units will be held in order to increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces "in response to provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials addressed to the Russian Federation".

Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said on Tuesday that the country has begun testing the readiness of its armed forces to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in parallel with preparations for a nuclear exercise by Russia.