Story perspectives

Russia, Belarus Launch Massive Nuclear Drills; Ukraine Decries

5/21/2026

Summary

Russia, Belarus Drill

Belarus and Russia began joint nuclear-weapons drills on May 19-21, 2026.
Russia said the exercises use 65,000 soldiers, 7,800 equipment pieces, 200 missile launchers, aircraft, ships and nuclear submarines.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry condemned the drills as de facto legitimising nuclear proliferation and urged tighter sanctions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied plan to attack from Belarus, calling Ukrainian claims an attempt to inflame the war, while President Vladimir Putin prepared for a two-day visit to China.

Summary

SBU Secures Warhead

Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) found depleted-uranium warheads from an R-60 missile on a modified Geran-2 drone used in a Chernihiv Oblast attack.
Gamma-radiation reached 12 micro-Sieverts per hour, prompting the SBU, State Emergency Service and Armed Forces to secure the debris and move the warhead to a radioactive-waste storage site.
Officials warned citizens not to handle damaged or burnt munitions because released radioactive dust can endanger people and the environment.

Summary

Rutte Warns

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned on May 20 that any Russian nuclear strike on Ukraine would trigger a devastating NATO response.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said Alexander Lukashenko has turned Belarus into a platform for Russia’s threats.
The United States affirmed it will keep supporting Europe on nuclear deterrence and defense amid Russian threats.

History

Historical Context

After the Soviet Union fell, Belarus inherited Soviet nuclear warheads and, under the Budapest Memorandum signed on 5 December 1994, relinquished them by 1996 with security assurances from Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Russia later breached those assurances by annexing Crimea in 2014 and invading Ukraine in 2022. In May 2026, Russia’s joint nuclear drills with Belarus revive the post-Soviet proliferation concerns.

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Russia, Belarus Drill

Belarus and Russia began joint nuclear-weapons drills on May 19-21, 2026.
Russia said the exercises use 65,000 soldiers, 7,800 equipment pieces, 200 missile launchers, aircraft, ships and nuclear submarines.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry condemned the drills as de facto legitimising nuclear proliferation and urged tighter sanctions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied plan to attack from Belarus, calling Ukrainian claims an attempt to inflame the war, while President Vladimir Putin prepared for a two-day visit to China.

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