Russia moves nuclear warheads to Belarus in large‑scale drills

Russia carried out its biggest nuclear exercise since the Soviet Union’s collapse, running from 19 to 21 May 2026. The three‑day drill involved roughly 64,000 troops, 140 aircraft and 7,800 weapon systems. As part of the exercise, nuclear munitions were delivered to field storage facilities in Belarus for the mobile Iskander‑M tactical missile system, with Russian personnel loading the warheads onto launch vehicles and moving them to launch‑ready positions. The deployment places NATO members Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia within the missile’s 500‑km range. Russian officials presented the drills as a strategic signal to NATO and to Western supporters of Ukraine, while Belarus’s defence ministry said the weapons were placed on the highest combat readiness. Video releases showed the Yars strategic missile system, Pacific Fleet forces and other components of the drill.

The moves have been described by Western governments as provocative but not an immediate indication of use, prompting heightened monitoring of the situation in Eastern Europe.