Belarusian president says nation’s warplanes have been retrofitted to carry nukes

Alexander Lukashenko declared on Friday that Belarusian warplanes have been retrofitted to be able to carry nuclear weapons. “[The West] must understand that no helicopters or planes will save them if they escalate. Putin and I once said in St. Petersburg that we’d convert Su-24 aircraft, too, so they could carry nuclear weapons. Did you think it was just talk? Everything is ready!” the Belarusian president declared on Friday, according to the state media.

Earlier this summer, on June 25, Lukashenko and Putin met in St. Petersburg and discussed “upgrades” to Su-35 and Su-25 warplanes, as well as the placement of Iskander-M tactical missile systems in Belarus. A month later, however, Lukashenko told Agence France-Presse in an interview that he “categorically opposes nuclear weapons” and said that Russia’s nuclear security umbrella is protection enough for Belarus.