THE Belarusian defence minister has said that his country plans to adopt a military doctrine providing for the use of nuclear weapons for the first time.

Russia sent tactical nuclear weapons to be stationed in Belarus last year, although there are no details about how many. 

Moscow has vowed to maintain control over those weapons, which are intended for battlefield use and have short ranges and comparatively low yields.

It was not immediately clear how the new doctrine might apply to the Russian weapons.

On Tuesday, Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin told a meeting of his country’s security council: “We clearly communicate Belarus’s views on the use of tactical nuclear weapons stationed on our territory.

“A new chapter has appeared, where we clearly define our allied obligations to our allies.”

The doctrine is to be presented for approval to the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, a representative body that operates in parallel with Belarus’s parliament.

Security council secretary Alexander Volfovich said that the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus was intended to deter aggression from Poland, a Nato member.

He said: “Unfortunately, statements by our neighbours, in particular Poland, forced us to strengthen” the military doctrine.