Belarus Commences Nuclear Drills With Russia After Zelensky Have Warned Of Possible Attacks On Ukraine.

Mynsk; May 2026: Belarus has begun nuclear weapons drills together with Russia “to improve the readiness of the armed forces to use modern means of destruction, including special ammunition”, the country’s Defence Ministry announced on May 18.

The exercises have added significance as they come amid growing warnings from Kyiv that Russia is trying to draw Belarus deeper into its war against Ukraine, while also expanding military infrastructure that could support future Russian operations against Ukraine or NATO’s eastern flank.

On May 15th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who after receiving a briefing from Ukraine’s military and intelligence services have said that Russia is stepping up efforts to drag Belarus into its war against Ukraine. Russia has made fresh contact with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in an effort to convince him to ‘join new acts; acts of aggression’, according to Zelensky, who claimed to “be in possession of the details of the conversation” between the two countries.

Belarus’ armed forces, widely understood to be poorly-motivated, outdated, and unprepared for the modern drone-dominated warfare raging in Ukraine, have not yet been actively involved in Russia’s war. However, Belarus has allowed its territory, including a state border with Ukraine stretching over 1,000 kilometers, to be used by Russian forces in its war of aggression, both as a launch site for drone and missile strikes and, crucially, as the staging point for the initial attack on Kyiv.

Unsuccessful in attempts to break through the Ukrainian defence in the east and south of the country, Russia is weighing up new offensive operations in the areas of Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts, Zelensky said. These border areas have been fortified since the withdrawal of Russian troops in spring, the overstretched nature of the Ukrainian military means that the border areas still could present a weak point for Kyiv if the attacking force was large enough.

Moscow is also considering using Belarusian territory to attack neighboring NATO member states, Zelensky said. The Suwalki Gap, the shared border of Poland and Lithuania that runs through a 70 kilometres wide corridor between Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, has long been considered a key weakness in the defence of NATO’s eastern flank.

In the meantime, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry condemned the exercises, calling Russia-Belarus nuclear cooperation ‘an unprecedented challenge to the global security architecture’, adding the drills violate the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by involving a non-nuclear state in preparations linked to nuclear weapons use.

“Turning Belarus into its nuclear bridgehead near NATO borders, the Kremlin is effectively legitimizing the spread of nuclear weapons globally and creating a dangerous precedent for other authoritarian regimes”, the statement reads.

Russia and Belarus have expanded nuclear cooperation since 2023, when Moscow announced the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. The two countries held joint nuclear drills in 2024, while Russia reportedly delivered its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system to Belarus in 2025.

On May 15, Zelensky said that Moscow is intensifying efforts to pressure Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko into taking a more direct role in the war against Ukraine. Zelensky said Ukraine possesses details of conversations between the Russian and Belarusian leadership.

Although Belarusian troops have not directly participated in combat operations against Ukraine, Minsk has allowed Russia to use its territory as a staging ground for the full-scale invasion, missile launches, and drone attacks. Russian forces launched their failed offensive against Kyiv and Chernihiv Oblasts from Belarus in February 2022.

In his statement, Zelensky also warned that Russia could be considering new offensive operations toward Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts from Belarusian territory, as well as potential threats against neighbouring NATO states.

Team Maverick.