Alexander Lukashenko said he would respond “immediately” to any provocation (Image: AFP via Getty)

Belarus’s authoritarian leader says the country’s military planes have been modified to carry nuclear weapons.

President Aleksandr Lukashenko also warned that he would be ready to respond quickly if Western countries try to “escalate the situation”.

Lukashenko, a staunch ally of Vladimir Putin, said he agreed to upgrade his SU-24 fighter jets after meeting the Russian president in June.

Belarus, which has no nuclear weapons of its own, has allowed the Kremlin to use its territory to launch an invasion of Ukraine.

Lukashenko did not elaborate on the transfer of nuclear warheads from Russia.

The Belta news agency reported that he was talking about a possible future threat from neighboring NATO member Poland, saying the Polish military knew how Minsk would react.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (left) greets Russian President Vladimir Putin before the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit in Minsk on November 30, 2017. (Pictured) Courtesy: Mikhail Metzel/SPUTNIK/ AFP) /AFP via Getty Images)

Lukashenko is a loyal Putin ally (Image: AFP via Getty)

Clearly referring to the West in general, he continued: “They need to understand that helicopters and planes will not save them if they decide to climb.”

Of the change, he said: “Everything is ready.

“The escalation with Belarus is not a good idea because it would be an escalation with the coalition[ruso-bielorrusa]that has nuclear weapons.

“If they start creating problems… we will react immediately.”

Lukashenko was in power in Belarus for 28 years and had the political and economic support of Russia.

In 2020, the Kremlin helped him stave off the biggest wave of protests in history following elections rigged by the opposition and Western powers.

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