Russia trained Belarusian pilots in nuclear weapons use

MOSCOW (AP) — Belarusian air force crews have completed their training in the use of tactical nuclear weapons as part of Russia’s plan to deploy the weapons to its ally Belarus amid the fighting in neighboring Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday released a video in which a Belarusian pilot said that the training course in Russia gave crews the necessary skills for using nuclear weapons. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Moscow planned to put some of its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. It was another attempt by the Kremlin leader to dangle the nuclear threat as a way of discouraging Western support for Ukraine.