Vladimir Putin 'moves nuclear missiles closer to Britain' as major Ukraine war warning issued

Alexander Lukashenko, President Putin's main ally in Europe, was accused of facilitating the Russian leader’s aggression in Ukraine by allowing him to intensify Russia’s military presence in the country.

Tsikhanouskaya told The Telegraph: “We see how on Belarusian territory, Mr Lukashenko’s regime intensifies the presence of Russia. They are about to deploy nuclear weapons, Russian missiles."

Belarus is a significant contributor to the Russian military-industrial complex, with estimates of about 300 Belarusian enterprises aiding Moscow’s production efforts, including drone construction.

“So it looks like they’re preparing for escalation,” Ms Tsikhanouskaya added.

She also claimed Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, was aware of the risk “because this escalation might affect not only Ukraine, but also European countries".

Ms Tsikhanouskaya added: "We have to put more attention on what is happening in Belarus."

In December, Russia’s ministry of defence released footage purportedly showing its military deploying a nuclear-capable missile system at an airbase in eastern Belarus.

Deployment of such would significantly reduce the time it would take for the Kremlin to strike into EU territory.

The development has been interpreted as "a show of power", intended to intimidate Ukraine and its neighbours while signalling to Putin’s domestic audience that Russia was prepared to escalate the conflict further.

Last week, reports emerged that satellites had captured imagery suggesting that Russia may be deploying Oreshnik systems at a military installation site near the town of Krychau, close to the Russian border in eastern Belarus.

Oreshnik systems are intermediate-range, nuclear-capable hypersonic ballistic missile systems, reportedly stationed in the country.

Non-nuclear Oreshniks have been tested on the battlefield in Ukraine, and the Kremlin has also used the missile, which splits into three separate warheads, to threaten the West.

However, Kurt Volker, Donald Trump’s former special envoy to Ukraine, cast doubt on the strategic significance of the deployment.

He said: "First off, the command and control of Russian nuclear weapons remains Russian command and control,”

"So if they’re in Russia, or if they’re a few hundred kilometres further forward in Belarus, it doesn’t really matter, they’re nuclear weapons, and they’re under Russian command and control, and they’re pointed at all of us".

“Let’s not get too alarmed, that this is now some kind of new threat. I think they talk about it. I think they may have exercised it, but I think there’s a lot more nuance about this".

Ms Tsikhanouskaya warned that Belarus’s fate was closely tied to that of Ukraine’s, calling President Zelensky a "personal hero."

Having met with him recently, she described him as looking “very tired”, but said he remained “very dedicated”.

“If the democratic world will not help Ukrainians enough for them to win this war, it will embolden Putin and he will not stop where he is,” she said, listing Moldova, Armenia and Georgia.

“All the borders will become negotiable, and that’s why, if Ukraine will not win this war, we can forget about changes in Belarus for decades, because it will settle the status quo in our country,” she added.

Ms Tsikhanouskaya described Mr Lukashenko, who is referred to as Europe’s last dictator, having maintained a grip on power since 1994, as “serving Putin’s interest” and continuing to “sell out” Belarus’s independence to Russia.

“Hopefully, when Ukraine wins, it will be a huge moment, an opportunity for us as well, because Russia will be distracted with internal problems [...] it will be rather weak. And hence Lukashenko will be weak”.