Russia Will Supply Iskander-M Nuclear-capable Missiles And Upgrade Belarusian Fighter Jets After President Putin Meets Lukashenko

Illustration of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Wikimedia Commons/Kremlin.ru)

JAKARTA - Relations between Russia and Belarus are getting closer, amid the conflict in Ukraine and tensions with Western countries, where President Vladimir Putin promised President Alexander Lukashenko to increase military power.

Moscow will supply the Iskander-M missile system to Minsk in the coming months, President Putin said at the opening of talks with his counterpart President Lukashenko at the weekend.

"As you and I have agreed, you ask this, we make a decision. In the coming months, we will supply Belarus with the Iskander-M tactical missile system which, as is well known, can use ballistic missiles and cruise missiles both in standard and nuclear modifications," said President Putin, quoted from TASS June 27.

The Russian leader also proposed instructing the defense ministers and chiefs of staff of Russia and Belarus, to work out all the details related to this issue.

"I totally agree," said President Lukashenko.

"This is a deal," concluded President Putin.

In addition, on the same occasion President Putin also offered Belarus to upgrade the Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircraft used by Belarus in Russian factories.

It is known, President Lukashenko asked for an adequate response to training flights of NATO aircraft near the Belarusian border during the talks.

The Russian president noted that a large number of Belarusian-owned Su-25 aircraft could be refitted. However, this modernization had to be carried out at the aircraft factories in Russia.

"But you and I will come to an agreement on when to do this and start training flight staff accordingly."

For information, the two leaders' weekend talks marked 30 years of Belarusian diplomatic relations with Russia.