ISTANBUL

Russia on Tuesday said that it has handed over the Iskander missile system to Belarus, which it said can be used to launch both conventional and nuclear missiles.

“The Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system was handed over to the Armed Forces of Belarus. It is capable of launching both conventional and nuclear missiles,” Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said during a conference call with the leadership of the country’s armed forces.

Shoygu further said that the training of Belarusian personnel on the use of the Iskander at one of the training grounds of the Russian military began on Monday.

Shoygu also said that some of Minsk’s military aircraft have gained the ability to strike at enemy targets with nuclear missiles.

He added that NATO is increasing its combat readiness and intensifying its activities near the borders of Russia and Belarus.

He further said that Finland's NATO membership has the potential of escalating the Moscow-Kyiv war.​​​​​​​

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last Saturday that Russia will complete the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, sparking fierce international criticism.

Belarus’ Foreign Ministry told Russian state news agency TASS last Tuesday that it is not violating any international non-proliferation agreements by hosting Russian nuclear weapons, arguing that the step was forced by years of pressure by the West.​​​​​​​