Russia has delivered nuclear munitions to Belarus as part of ongoing joint military exercises, according to Russian officials.
The transfer forms part of wider nuclear readiness drills being carried out between the two allies amid continued tensions with the West.
The exercises are designed to simulate the deployment and operational use of tactical nuclear weapons and come as Moscow continues to deepen military cooperation with Belarus following the war in Ukraine.
Russian authorities said the drills involve preparations for the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons and are intended as a response to what Moscow describes as growing security threats from NATO countries.
Belarus has increasingly become a strategic military partner for Russia in recent years, allowing Russian forces and equipment to operate from its territory.
The latest move is expected to raise further concern among Western governments, particularly as it marks one of the clearest public confirmations of Russian nuclear-related military activity inside Belarus.
The nuclear drills also come amid heightened geopolitical tensions between Russia and Western allies over continued military support for Ukraine.
