INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Belarus said Tuesday it had started a surprise inspection of its non-strategic nuclear weapon carriers on the orders of President Alexander
Lukashenko.The announcement comes a day after his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin ordered nuclear drills in Russia, raising fears that
the powerful weapons could be used in Ukraine.Non-strategic nuclear weapons, also known as tactical nuclear weapons, are designed for use on
the battlefield and can be delivered via missiles.They are less devastating than the strategic nuclear weapons used to obliterate entire
cities but are still highly destructive and have never been used in combat."In accordance with an order from the President of Belarus, a
sudden inspection of non-strategic nuclear weapons carriers is being carried out," the Belarusian Defense Ministry said in a statement.The
inspection will test the "planning, preparation, and use of strikes with tactical nuclear warheads" and involve a squadron of Su-25
aircraft, it added.Belarus does not have any nuclear weapons of its own, but last year the Moscow-ally agreed to host Russian tactical
warheads on its territory amid rising tensions over Ukraine.
