Belarus estimates that it will best develop the production of its own rockets and how to equip Polonez rocket launchers with nuclear heads, a high -ranking Belarusian official said today.

Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has announced this week that it will deepen bilateral relations with Iran and also works with China in the field of arms development. Belarus does not have its own nuclear weapons, but it maintains Russian regular weapons on the territory, which is under Moscow control.

President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been president of Belarus since 1994, told officials during a meeting in an arms industry that Minsk should modernize and develop his own rocket production

“The dynamics of military threats and the significant increase in military spending from our west neighbors are forcing us to constantly pay close attention to the issue of the defensive potential of Belarus, Russia and our Union,” he said, “he said,” Lukashenkoaccording to state media.

OR Belarus borders Poland, Lithuania and Latvia – all member states NATO-West and north, while in the south it borders with Ukraine.

Alexander Wolfovic, head of the State Security Council in Belarus, told reporters that Minsk is thinking of equipping the Polonez missile system with nuclear heads.

“Today, this is a state -of -the -art system,” Wolfovic said, according to the state -run Belta news agency. “Questions are already being raised about the equipment of these nuclear rockets.”

The Polonez system, which has been in service since 2016, has been developed with China, Volfovic said. The launcher now has a range of 300 km from 200 km previously.

Volfovic said that Belarus also explores how to integrate Oreshnik technology, a Russian -made, medium -range ultrasonic rocket to create a “common rocket”.

Belarus’ defense minister said last week that upcoming joint exercises between Minsk and Moscow would include exercises using Oreshnik, which Russia has used against Ukraine.

“The issues related to the increase in our power and our defense potential are very important,” Volfovic said.