A senior US defense official called Belarus “very irresponsible” of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “cavalry” language around nuclear-capable missile systems.
“Our strategic forces are always monitoring things in this regard,” the official told reporters in a background call. “We’re definitely taking this seriously and have taken that threat seriously from the start.”
Here is the full quote:
“Certainly whenever someone uses the word nuclear, you worry. Frankly, it is very un-for a national leader to talk about the use of nuclear weapons and generally do so in an indecent manner. is verbal. Sounds responsible. In terms of my concerns, other than the fact that they talk again, I mean the way Putin’s statement was read, we’re going to give them Iskander, and oh The way they might have nuclear weapons. And when you use that language, everybody takes it very seriously. So we’re definitely taking it seriously and that threat from the very beginning. And as you know, our Strategic Forces are always monitoring things in this regard.
Some references: Russia will transfer the nuclear-capable Iskander-M missile system to Belarus in the coming months, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at a meeting in St Petersburg on Saturday.
According to the Kremlin, Putin told Lukashenko, “In the next few months, we will transfer the Iskander-M strategic missile system to Belarus, as you know, using ballistic and cruise missiles in both conventional and nuclear versions . can do.” ,
In a transcript of the meeting, Lukashenko expressed his “tension” to Putin and concerns over what he alleged are “training to carry nuclear weapons” flights by the United States and NATO aircraft close to the Belarus border. ,
Lukashenko asked Putin to consider “a reflective response” to the flights or to convert Russia’s Su-35 fighter jets, currently stationed in Belarus, so that “they can carry nuclear weapons.”
Putin replied that although matching US flights is possible, “there is no need,” and suggested that because Belarus’ military has a large number of Su-25 aircraft that could be converted to nuclear-capable.
“This modernization should be carried out in aircraft factories in Russia, but we will agree with you how to do it. And accordingly, start training flight crews, ”said Putin.
According to Jens Defense, the Iskander-M is a Russian-made short-range ballistic missile system that can carry conventional or nuclear warheads with a maximum range of up to 500 kilometers (310 mi).
According to the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, the weapon uses both optical and inertial guidance systems to strike its targets, hitting them with multiple warheads such as cluster warheads, vacuum bombs, bunker-busters and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) warheads.
The Iskander-M was first used in 2008 during the Russo-Georgian conflict, when the Russian military used it to hit targets in Ghori, according to the coalition.
Maria Knight and Johnny Hallam contributed to this report