Russian-supplied Iskander tactical missile systems, which are capable of carrying nuclear warheads, and S-400 air defence systems have been deployed to Belarus and are prepared to perform their intended tasks, a senior Belarusian defence ministry official has said.

Leonid Kasinsky, head of the main directorate of ideology at the ministry, said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday:

Our servicemen, crews have fully completed their training in the joint combat training centres of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus …

These types of weapons [Iskander and S-400 systems] are on combat duty today and they are fully prepared to perform tasks for their intended purpose.”It is not clear how many of the Iskander systems have been deployed to Belarus but it follows Putin’s visit to Minsk on 19 December amid concerns in Ukraine that he would pressure Belarus to join a fresh ground offensive and open a new front.

Russian forces used Belarus as a launch pad for their abortive attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in February, and there has been a growing flurry of Russian and Belarusian military activity in recent months.

The Iskander-M, a mobile guided missile system, has a range of up to 500km (300 miles) and can carry conventional or nuclear warheads.

/The Guardian