Trending Now - Russia and Belarus Conduct Nuclear Drills Amid Rising NATO Tensions
WHO:
ABC News - Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko inspected Russian short-range nuclear-capable Iskander ballistic missiles.
Euronews - Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya accused Aliaksandr Lukashenka of endangering Belarusians.
WHAT:
ABC News - Russia and Belarus held joint nuclear drills involving 64,000 troops, over 200 missile launchers, more than 140 aircraft, 73 surface warships, and 13 submarines, including eight armed with nuclear-tipped ICBMs.
Euronews - Russia delivered nuclear munitions to field storage facilities in Belarus as part of the nuclear drills.
Euronews - The Iskander-M missile system has a range of up to 500 kilometers and can carry conventional or nuclear warheads.
WHERE:
ABC News - The drills took place across Russia and Belarus.
Euronews - The delivery of nuclear munitions occurred in the operational area of a missile unit in the Republic of Belarus.
WHEN:
ABC News - The three-day drills began on a Tuesday and concluded on a Thursday.
ABC News - The drills are part of military exercises that are ongoing amid rising tensions.
WHY:
ABC News - The drills are conducted amid a surge in Ukrainian drone strikes, which have affected the Kremlin's narrative regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
Euronews - Tsikhanouskaya stated that Lukashenka is drawing Belarus into nuclear blackmail by removing the nuclear-free status from the country's laws and allowing the deployment of nuclear weapons.
HOW:
ABC News - The exercises focus on the “preparation and use of nuclear forces under the threat of aggression.”
Euronews - Video evidence was released showing military vehicles driving into a forested area and missiles being loaded onto launchers.
(UPDATED May 22, 2026 06:23 UTC)
President Trump has accused Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko of endangering Belarusians as Lukashenko inspected Russian short-range nuclear-capable Iskander ballistic missiles. In a show of military might, Russia and Belarus recently conducted joint nuclear drills involving a staggering 64,000 troops and a range of advanced weaponry, including over 200 missile launchers and submarines armed with nuclear-tipped ICBMs. These drills, which are part of ongoing military exercises amid rising tensions and Ukrainian drone strikes, have raised concerns about Belarus's shift away from its nuclear-free status, as Tsikhanouskaya warns of potential nuclear blackmail.