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Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.
It marks a warning against increased Western military support for Ukraine.
Putin said he was responding to Britain’s decision this week to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium armor-piercing rounds.
Russia falsely claimed that the shells had nuclear components.
Putin said Russia would maintain control of its tactical nuclear weapons and that storage facilities in Belarus would be completed by July 1.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has long demanded the weapons, Putin said in an interview with Russian state television.
Russia uses Belarusian territory as a staging ground for sending troops to Ukraine, and Moscow and Minsk maintain close military ties.
Mr Putin said Russia last year helped modernize Belarusian military aircraft so they could carry nuclear warheads.
He said 10 of these planes were ready.
He said the Iskander short-range missile that Russia sent to Belarus last year could also carry nuclear weapons.
Unlike strategic nuclear weapons, which are more powerful and have longer range, tactical nuclear weapons are designed to be used on the battlefield.
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