TSAMTO, May 25. The collective West, in fact, is waging an undeclared war against Russia and Belarus, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin on May 25.
According to him, "NATO's military activity has acquired the most aggressive orientation."
"A set of measures is being implemented to increase the combat readiness of the United Armed Forces of the Alliance in Eastern Europe. Additional military contingents and military infrastructure are being deployed, combat training and intelligence activities are being activated near the borders of the Union State," the head of the Russian military department stressed.
He also noted that Western states, by providing military assistance to Ukraine, are deliberately delaying the armed conflict.
"Everything possible is being done to delay and escalate the armed conflict in Ukraine, which is receiving all kinds of military support," Sergei Shoigu said.
Starting negotiations with the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Belarus Viktor Khrenin, he noted that bilateral meetings "have recently become regular."
"This is especially important in the context of the rapid growth of tension, the breakdown of the foundations of strategic stability and the unprecedented intensification of international confrontation. The Republic of Belarus has been and remains our loyal ally and reliable partner," the Russian Defense Minister stressed.
He also noted that Russia and Belarus are engaged in strengthening the common defense space in the new military-political realities.
"Taking into account the military-political situation, together with the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, we are carrying out tasks to strengthen the unified defense space. We focus on training troops and improving their combat capabilities," Sergei Shoigu said.
According to him, the military of the two countries are conducting combat coordination of formations and military units that are part of the regional grouping of troops.
"As part of the Unified Regional Air Defense System in the Republic of Belarus, Russian aviation and air defense systems are on combat duty. Close cooperation in the military-technical sphere and cooperation of military-industrial complexes have been established," Sergei Shoigu said.
He also noted that "in the conditions of an extremely sharp escalation of threats and the activity of joint nuclear missions, NATO is forced to take retaliatory measures in the military nuclear sphere. In accordance with the decision of our supreme commanders-in-chief, work has been organized to deploy non-strategic nuclear weapons of the Russian Federation on the territory of the Republic of Belarus."
He recalled that the operational-tactical missile system Iskander-M, capable of using missiles not only in conventional, but also nuclear equipment, was handed over to the Belarusian side.
"Some of the Belarusian aircraft have been re-equipped for the possible use of nuclear weapons. The servicemen have received appropriate training," Sergei Shoigu added.
The heads of the military departments of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu and Belarus Viktor Khrenin signed documents defining the procedure for the maintenance of Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons in a special storage facility on the territory of the republic.
The Russian Defense Minister said before the ceremony: "Today we will sign documents defining the procedure for keeping Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons in a special storage facility on the territory of the Republic of Belarus."
According to Sergei Shoigu, the measures implemented by Russia and Belarus "comply with all existing international legal obligations."
During the signing of documents defining the procedure for the maintenance of Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons in a special storage facility on the territory of the republic, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu noted that Russia, placing non-strategic nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus, does not transfer it to the republic, control over it and the decision to use it remains with Moscow.
On behalf of the Belarusian side, the documents were signed by the Minister of Defense of the Republic Viktor Khrenin.
At the same time, the Russian Defense Minister noted that "in the future, additional measures may be taken to ensure the security of the Union State and respond to the military-political situation," the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reports.
