Summary
From May 19 to May 21, 2026, Russia and Belarus conducted joint military exercises involving nuclear-capable forces across multiple locations in both countries. The drills, confirmed by official statements from both governments and widely reported by international news agencies, included the deployment and simulated use of a range of nuclear delivery systems. Russian and Belarusian forces operated from the Barysaw training ground in Belarus, unprepared positions near the Polish and Lithuanian borders, and several Russian military sites, including the Western Military District and maritime zones in the Baltic and Barents Seas. The exercises mobilized approximately 64,000 troops, over 200 missile launchers, more than 140 aircraft, 73 surface warships, and 13 submarines. The drills were conducted under the legal and doctrinal framework of the Union State Treaty and Russia’s revised nuclear doctrine, which explicitly extends nuclear deterrence to Belarus and lowers the threshold for nuclear use. Both governments stated the exercises were planned, not directed at any third country, and focused on readiness and operational integration.
Detailed Report
1. Key Sites and Timeline of Operations
The joint nuclear-related military drills took place over three days, from May 19 to May 21, 2026. In Belarus, the primary site was the Barysaw (Borisov) training ground northeast of Minsk, with additional Belarusian units operating from unprepared positions near the borders with Poland and Lithuania. Russian forces participated from sites within the Western Military District, including missile brigade bases and airfields, as well as from the Leningrad and Central Military Districts and the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Maritime operations were conducted in the Baltic Sea and the Barents Sea, with exclusion zones established near the Kola Peninsula and Severnaya Zemlya. Belarusian missile units also conducted live launches inside Russian territory. These locations and activities were confirmed by the Russian and Belarusian Ministries of Defense and corroborated by multiple international news agencies.
2. Scope and Size of Joint Forces
The exercises involved a combined force of approximately 64,000 troops from both Russia and Belarus. Russian participation included the Strategic Missile Forces, Northern and Pacific Fleets, Long-Range Aviation Command, and units from the Leningrad and Central Military Districts. Belarus contributed missile brigades and air force detachments, with explicit integration and coordination between the two countries’ armed forces. The drills mobilized over 200 missile launchers, more than 140 aircraft, 73 surface warships, 13 submarines, and over 7,800 pieces of military equipment.
3. Weapons and Systems Deployed in the Exercises
The joint drills featured a wide array of nuclear-capable delivery systems:
· Iskander-M: Mobile short-range ballistic missile system (range up to 500 km), capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear warheads. Operated by both Russian and Belarusian units, with Belarusian crews conducting a live launch inside Russian territory and practicing the receipt and loading of "special munitions" (nuclear warheads).
· Oreshnik: Intermediate-range ballistic missile, reported range up to 5,500 km and speeds exceeding 12,000 km/h, dual-capable, stationed in Belarus since 2025 and featured in the exercises.
· Yars (RS-24): Road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), range exceeding 10,000 km, capable of carrying multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), test-fired by Russian Strategic Missile Forces from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.
· Sineva (R-29RMU): Liquid-fueled submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) deployed on Delta IV-class submarines, range approximately 8,300 km, launched from strategic missile submarines in the Barents Sea.
· Zircon (3M22): Sea-launched hypersonic cruise missile, speeds up to Mach 8, range approximately 1,000 km, launched from naval platforms.
· Kinzhal (Kh-47M2): Air-launched hypersonic ballistic missile, range up to 2,000 km, speeds up to Mach 10, launched from aircraft during the drills.
· The naval component included 73 surface warships (missile cruisers, destroyers, and support vessels) and 13 submarines (eight of which were strategic missile submarines and five conventional or multipurpose submarines).
4. Russia’s Nuclear Doctrine and Its Application
4A. November 2024 Doctrine Revision
On November 19, 2024, President Vladimir Putin signed the updated "Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Deterrence." The revision lowers the threshold for nuclear use from "existence of the state" to "critical threat to sovereignty or territorial integrity" of Russia or Belarus. The doctrine explicitly extends nuclear deterrence guarantees to Belarus under the Union State, classifies conventional attacks by a non-nuclear state supported by a nuclear power as a "joint attack" eligible for nuclear response, and includes large-scale aerospace attacks—such as mass launches of missiles, aircraft, drones, or hypersonic vehicles—as triggering conditions.
4B. Legal Framework
The Union State Treaty (December 8, 1999) established mutual defense obligations and a Regional Grouping of Forces, designating an attack on either state as an attack on the Union State. The Treaty on Security Guarantees within the Framework of the Union State (signed December 6, 2024; ratified by Russia on February 28, 2025, and by Belarus on March 4, 2025) codifies commitments to provide "all necessary assistance, including military force," in response to attacks or threats to sovereignty, including the potential for a nuclear response.
4C. Command and Control
Following a request from President Lukashenko, President Putin announced the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus in March 2023. This included the transfer of Iskander-M systems, construction of a Russian-operated storage facility, and training of Belarusian personnel. Exclusive authority to arm and launch nuclear weapons remains with Russian leadership—the President, Minister of Defence, and Chief of the General Staff. Russia maintains this arrangement is compliant with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), drawing parallels to U.S. nuclear sharing within NATO.
5. Statements from Russian and Belarusian Officials
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the purpose of the drills was "the preparation and use of nuclear forces in the event of a threat of aggression." The exercises focused on the covert movement and preparation of nuclear munitions, deployment from unprepared positions, and simulated launches of ballistic and cruise missiles at designated practice targets. The Kremlin stated that the drills were "directed at no specific country." The Belarusian Ministry of Defense described the exercises as intended "to test readiness and carry out combat missions from unprepared areas throughout the country," and stated the exercise "was a planned event and not directed at any specific third party". The Belarusian Ministry of Defense further stated that the drills would "involve missile units and warplanes" and focus on "training forces to move covertly across large distances."
Conclusion
The joint Russia-Belarus nuclear-related military drills of May 2026 involved extensive integration of nuclear-capable forces, a broad array of delivery systems, and large-scale participation from both countries’ armed forces. Conducted under the framework of the Union State Treaty and Russia’s revised nuclear doctrine, the exercises focused on readiness, operational integration, and the operationalization of joint nuclear capabilities.