Russian President Vladimir Putin, observing nuclear drills held by Russia and Belarus on Thursday, said that nuclear weapons usage is a "last resort" measure, and that such weapons must serve as a guarantor of Russian and Belarusian sovereignty, Belarusian defence ministry reported. Trucks carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles rumbled over forest roads, atomic-powered submarines set sail from Arctic and Pacific ports, and crews scrambled into warplanes as Russia and neighboring Belarus held the final stage of their joint nuclear drills Thursday.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko inspected Russian short-range nuclear-capable Iskander ballistic missiles at a military unit involved in the drills, declaring: “I dreamed about this machine a long time ago.”
