Media: Belarusian chief of general staff threatens to use tactical nukes 'if sovereignty threatened'

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko (L) speaks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (R) during their meeting at the State Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Dec. 27, 2022. (Alexey Danichev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

Belarus's Chief of the General Staff Pavel Muraveiko said that the country would use tactical nuclear weapons that Russia deployed on its territory if the sovereignty or independence of Belarus was threatened, Belarusian state-run news outlet Belta reported on June 30.

"We've learned how to handle these weapons. We know how to apply them confidently. We are able to do it. And you can be sure: we will do it if the sovereignty and independence of our country is threatened," Pavel Muraveiko said during a TV broadcast, according to Belta.

A day earlier, the Belarusian military claimed that Ukraine is allegedly deploying its forces to the shared state border for potential "sabotage, terrorist acts," state-run news outlet Belta reported.

The Kyiv Independent couldn't verify the claim that Ukraine was moving its forces closer to the Belarus border, while Belarusian state-run news outlets have a long history of unsubstantiated claims.

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While Belarus doesn't have nuclear weapons of its own, Russia has allegedly moved some of its nuclear arsenal to Belarus.

The Ukrainian Security and Defense Council's Center for Countering Disinformation said in May that Russia may opt to conduct a new psychological operation aimed at "stirring up mass panic" in Ukraine. The plan was to force Kyiv to believe that Belarusian troops would join Russia's war against Ukraine, according to the center.

"We expect a series of provocative statements by the top leadership of Russia and Belarus threatening Ukraine soon," the statementsaid.