Duda: Russian tactical nukes in Belarus changing regional security architecture

That’s according to the Associated Press referring to Duda’s statement voiced at a joint press conference with Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Ukrinform reports.

“I was telling President (Sousa) about the implementation of the declarations by Vladimir Putin that Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons will be moved to the territory of Belarus. Indeed, this process is taking place, we are seeing that,” Duda said.

He stopped short of providing any details, only noting that "in an obvious way it is changing the architecture of security" in Eastern Europe.

"This changes the security architecture in our immediate neighboring countries, but at the same time on NATO's eastern flank. So, in fact, it changes the situation for the entire alliance," the Polish leader concluded.

Tactical nuclear weapons are designed for battlefield use and have a shorter range and lower yield compared with much more powerful nuclear warheads mounted on long-range missiles.

As reported, on May 25, Russian and Belarusian defense chiefs signed agreements on the deployment of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil. On the same day, Belarus leader Aleksander Lukashenko announced that the nuclear weapons were already being transferred from Russia. At a meeting with Lukashenko in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed tactical nukes would be delivered to the Republic of Belarus after July 7-8.

On June 16, the Russian president said the first batch of nuclear warheads, intended to be deployed on Belarusian soil, had been delivered.

In late July, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency officials told journalists they have “no reason to doubt” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that Russia has moved a first batch of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.

The officials would not disclose why they believe that, only acknowledging that the weapons are difficult for the U.S. intelligence community to track, even through satellite imagery.

Putin said Russia has about 4,477 deployed and reserved nuclear warheads, including around 1,900 tactical nuclear weapons. It is not clear how much of that arsenal Putin intends to move, and U.S. and Western officials have not publicly confirmed that any weapons have been transferred to Belarus.