Russia opened three days of nuclear weapons exercises on Tuesday with 65,000 troops, more than 200 missile launchers, 140 aircraft, 73 surface warships, and 13 submarines (including nuclear submarines) rehearsing the preparation and use of nuclear forces against a simulated aggressor. Belarus is a joint participant, staging drills on the eastern flank of NATO. The exercises began hours before Vladimir Putin boarded a plane to Beijing.
What Russia Is Running and Why It Matters
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the exercise runs May 19 to 21, 2026. The stated purpose: "the preparation and use of nuclear forces in the event of a threat of aggression." The drills cover Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern and Pacific fleets, long-range aviation command, and units from the Leningrad and Central military districts.
Russia will also conduct test launches of ballistic and cruise missiles during the exercise period. More than 7,800 military vehicles and weapons systems are involved across all branches.
This is the backdrop: in February 2026, the last nuclear arms pact between Russia and Washington formally expired. The New START treaty, which capped deployed nuclear warheads and provided mutual inspection rights, is gone. Putin has since called the development of Russia's nuclear forces an "absolute priority," and Russia this month tested a new long-range missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
"Turning Belarus into its nuclear bridgehead near NATO borders, the Kremlin is effectively legitimizing the spread of nuclear weapons globally and creating a dangerous precedent for other authoritarian regimes." — Ukraine's Foreign Ministry
Belarus: The Nuclear Launchpad on NATO's Doorstep
Belarus began its own related exercises on May 18, practicing the use of nuclear weapons from "unplanned" locations across Belarusian territory. Russia has been building Belarus into a nuclear-capable frontline state for three years: deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus in 2023, conducting joint nuclear drills in 2024, and delivering the Oreshnik missile system (nuclear-capable) to Belarusian soil in 2025.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called the joint drills "an unprecedented challenge to the global security architecture" and said they violate the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by involving a non-nuclear state in exercises linked to actual nuclear weapons use.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on May 15 warned that Russia is intensifying pressure on Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to take a more direct role in the war. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence holds details of conversations between the Russian and Belarusian leadership, and that Russia is "considering plans for operations from the territory of Belarus, either against the Chernihiv-Kyiv direction in Ukraine or against one of the NATO countries." He ordered Ukrainian forces to reinforce the northern border.
Belarusian troops have not directly fought in Ukraine. Minsk allowed Russia to stage the February 2022 invasion of Kyiv from its territory, and has since provided missile launch platforms, drone corridors, and logistical routes. Russia is now adding nuclear rehearsal sites.
Putin Flies to Beijing While the Drills Run
Moscow announced the drills hours before Putin departed for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a meeting that comes just days after Donald Trump wrapped his own state visit to China. The back-to-back Beijing summits underscore how central China's posture has become to the outcome in Ukraine.
Putin is seeking China's diplomatic backing on the war. A major focus of the summit is finalizing the Power of Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline, which would deepen Russian-Chinese energy dependence. Russia has grown increasingly reliant on China and India as buyers for its energy exports since Western sanctions cut off traditional markets.
Beijing has tolerated the war without openly endorsing it. China has reportedly provided dual-use goods that aided Russia's military production and trained Russian soldiers who later fought in Ukraine. Analysts see Xi playing a balancing act between Washington and Moscow, positioning China as indispensable to any eventual resolution.
The drills, the departure, and the Beijing summit are running on the same day.
No Treaties, No Inspections, No Limits
The collapse of New START in February removed the last formal constraint on both sides' nuclear arsenals. There are no mutual inspection rights, no required notifications of new deployments, no caps on warhead counts. Russia has vowed what it calls a "responsible" approach to nuclear capability, then launched three days of nuclear war exercises with 65,000 troops and live-fire ballistic missile tests.
Zelenskyy has ordered forces north. Belarus holds the Oreshnik on its soil. The drills run through May 21.
Sources
- Russia Conducting 3 Days of Major Nuclear Drills — CBS News
- Russia Launches Large-Scale Nuclear Drills — Kyiv Independent
- Belarus Starts Nuclear Drills With Russia — Kyiv Independent
- Russia Holds Massive Drills of Its Nuclear Forces — NBC News
- Putin Heads to Beijing Days After Trump — CNBC
- What Russian Nuclear Weapons Could Belarus Practice Using? — United24 Media
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