RATTLED Vladimir Putin vowed to put tactical nuclear weapons in Nato’s backyard as Ukraine’s long-awaited fightback gained momentum.
The Kremlin tyrant — whose invaders endangered tens of thousands by blowing up a dam on Tuesday— said he will deploy the nukes in Belarus from next month.
His desperate sabre-rattling – confirming earlier threats– came just hours after Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky said his heroic troops had made key gains.
Putin met his henchman, Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko, in Russia’s Black Sea city Sochi and told him: “We will immediately begin activities related to the deployment of appropriate types of weapons on your territory.”
It is the first time since 1991 that Russia has moved tactical nuclear weapons on to foreign territory and comes after a pact was signed by Lukashenko last month.
Russia will keep control of the nukes, which can be launched on Iskander-M missiles or from Su-25 planes. Belarus has both.
The puppet state borders three Nato countries — Latvia, Lithuania and Poland— as well as Ukraine.
Russian sources say the Iskander has a range of 500km, or 310 miles – while the Sukhoi-25 jet is claimed to have a range of up to 1,000km, or 620 miles.
If the weapons were launched from Belarus’s main air base outside the capital Minsk, those delivery vehicles could potentially reach almost all of eastern Europe– including a host of Nato members – as well as cities such as Germany‘s capital Berlin and Sweden‘s Stockholm.
Delivery systems such as Iskander missiles are used for tactical nuclear weapons with smaller yields – but are designed for mass destruction of short-range battlefield targets.
William Alberque, from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told Germany’s DW: “Tactical nuclear weapons are launched purely for winning a battle, and are not designed to attack a city.
“They’re smaller warheads and can be up to 100 kilotons depending on the target.”
Ukraine’s counter-offensive appears to have panicked Putin, who earlier cancelled a major news conference amid suggestions he could face a coup as a backlash within his own country grows.
Lukashenko, 68, is 70-year-old Putin’s only European ally in his war with Ukraine.
Last month Lukashenko offered to share nukes with any country joining the pair in their anti-Ukraine onslaught.
Putin told him over a meal in Sochi: “Regarding the most sensitive questions we agreed with you, everything is going according to plan,” said Putin, concerning nuclear deployment.
“As you know, preparation of facilities is finishing on July 7-8.
“And we will immediately start events related to deployment of weapons in your territory.
“So everything is going according to our plan, all is stable.”
A hoarse and ailing Lukashenko – believed to be seriously ill– replied: “Vladimir, you said it right – [everything] is going according to the plan.”
The pair did not mention the Ukraine counter-offensive.
The Belarus dictator told Putin – who is also the subject of a swirl of health rumours– that there would be meetings between their prime ministers and other officials.
Lukashenko’s government – only in power due to huge vote-rigging in 2020– is fully dependent on Russia.
It is unclear how his bad health may impact on Putin’s ultimate aim of merging the two countries.
Putin will retain full control of the use of nuclear weapons based in Belarus.
On his last trip to Moscow, Lukashenko was hospitalised in the Kremlin clinic, according to reliable reports.
Earlier on 9 May, when he attended a Red Square parade but was unable to walk a short distance, he was rushed back to his capital Minsk.
There were unconfirmed claims he had been poisoned by Russian secret services.
Joe Biden‘s United States has criticised Putin’s nuclear deployment but has said it has no intention of altering its position on strategic nuclear weapons – while also insisting it had seen no signs Moscow was preparing to use a nuclear weapon.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Mr Zelensky claimed key battlefield gains in Bakhmut, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.
He said “very tough battles” were taking place and added: “But there is a result, and I am grateful to everyone who ensures this result.
“Step by step. I thank each of our warriors.”
Ukraine also said it had intercepted a phone call proving a Russian “sabotage group” blew up the Kakhovka dam on Tuesday.
Up to 42,000 residents could be forced to flee the resulting flooding, with some families now without food or water for three days
