Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday (9 June) announced that Moscow will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus once special storage facilities are ready on 7-8 July, marking the country's first deployment of such weapons outside of Russia since the Soviet Union's collapse.

Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday confirmed that nuclear weapons would be deployed in Belarus after facilities to house them are finished in early July. It's the first nukes deployment outside Russia since 1991.

July

Vladimir Putin has announced Russia will start deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus next month – Moscow ’s first move of such bombs outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. The Russian president said the weapons would be deployed after special storage facilities are ready in just under a month’s time.

MOSCOW, Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his intention on Friday to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus from early July. Putin said preparations at the relevant facilities would be completed on July 7 and 8.

Everything is going according to plan,” the Russian leader told Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko when discussing the planned nuclear deployment on Friday.

Russia will start deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus once facilities are ready on July 7-8, President Vladimir Putin told his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Friday. “So, everything is according to plan,