Belarusian Polonais may be equipped with nuclear weapons: what is known about the threat.

According to ТСН: The Belarusian operational-tactical missile system 'Polonais' may receive a nuclear warhead. According to the Belarusian side, these developments are being handled by Russian specialists.

This was reported by the head of the National Security Commission of the House of Representatives of Belarus, Gennady Lepeshko, in a comment to the pro-Russian resource Sputnik Belarus. He noted that during joint exercises 'Zapad', mechanisms for using nuclear weapons were already practiced.

Algorithms for the use of nuclear weapons

Aviation and missile platforms that could serve as carriers of nuclear warheads are being discussed. Lepeshko also confirmed that the possibility of using nuclear weapons specifically from the 'Polonais' missile system is being considered.

'Polonais' is a Belarusian adaptation of the Chinese multifunctional missile system GATSS, mounted on the chassis MZKT-7930. The system was first demonstrated in 2015, and in 2016 it was adopted for service. The complex can use missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers and is equipped with an inertial guidance system with GPS correction.

Powerful threats and cooperation with Moscow

Earlier, the Belarusian authorities repeatedly made loud statements about 'Polonais'. For example, Alexander Lukashenko threatened missile strikes on Kyiv in 2022, and in 2023 he announced a transition to Russian technologies in missile production.

In addition to 'Polonais', the Belarusian army since 2023 has in service the Russian OTRK 'Iskander-M' and 'Iskander-K'. For these systems, Russia already has nuclear warheads with a yield of up to 50 kilotons, which likely was also mentioned in statements about practicing nuclear scenarios during exercises.

Therefore, cooperation between Minsk and Moscow in the field of missile and nuclear technologies is actively developing, which raises concerns in the countries of the region and Europe as a whole.