Russia will start deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus after special storage facilities are ready on July 7-8, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, Moscow's first move of such bombs outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.

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.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) posted a one-and-a-half minute audio clip on its Telegram channel of the alleged conversation, which featured two men who appeared to be discussing the fallout from the disaster in Russian.

The preparation of the facilities for the storage of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will end on 7-8 July. With this stage completed, Russia will immediately launch activities related to the deployment of these types of weapons,

Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus once the necessary infrastructure is ready, which is expected to be next month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

Putin announced the planned deployment of short-range nuclear weapons in Belarus earlier this year in a move widely seen as a warning to the West as it stepped up military support for Ukraine. View on