Russian Tactical Nukes In Belarus

      On June 6th 2023 PMC Wagner leader Prigozhin talked about Russian tactical nuclear weapons being potentially used on a Russian border town that Ukrainians might be baited into taking, and threatened to take his troops north to Moscow in 2 weeks.

     On June 17th 2023 Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the first tactical nukes were now in Belarus (he had announced that they would be placing them there earlier this year).

     Then just a week later on June 24th 2023 PMC Wagner leader Prigozhin moved 2 columns towards Moscow as he had promised, but turned left at the first highway that led to Belarus, and under the cover story of going into exile in Belarus himself, sent the two columns to Belarus. Putin then said that PMC Wagner will be dissolved as they either sign contracts and are integrated into the Russian military, or are welcomed into Belarus, and said that by accepting exile in Belarus nothing would happen to Prigozhin.

     Timing is everything. This placed Prigozhin in charge of the tactical nukes in Belarus, while Lukashenko of Belarus claims that he is the strong man, that he alone negotiated the exile of Prigozhin and ended the coup in Russia. He is presenting himself as equal to or greater than Putin, and Putin allows all of it.

     In a Newsweek article from June 6th 2023, Prigozhin seemed to be very familiar with the Russian tactical nukes, how they can be used, and was of course critical of the Russian military leaders 1 month ago. This all appears to be some classic Russian game of chess, 3-D Chess actually, with Putin moving tactical nukes into Belarus as well as his most elite, ruthless, and experienced army units, the PMC Wagner group. Meanwhile Chechen fighters that have been in the Ukrainian theater of operation since at least January of 2023 were moved in to fill the void left by the PMC Wagner troops that had left the Ukraine. That is some impressive troop maneuvering, all done under the cover of a supposed coup.

     As of July 9th, despite Prigozhin's private plane landing in Belarus, he hasn't been seen or heard from since, nor can Western intelligence officials identify any Wagner fighters, or any tactical nukes that were supposedly moved there starting in mid-June. Meanwhile Lukashenko has been saber rattling, making vague press conference statements about using the tactical nukes if Belarus is threatened, and repeatedly saying that he alone makes the decision about whether to use those tactical nukes. What is next? An attack on Kiev by former Wager troops led by Prigozhin that includes the use of tactical nuclear weapons on a battlefield for the first time in the history of the world?