The drill was part of a broader exercise testing the readiness of Russia's nuclear triad

Russia's Defense Ministry has released new footage from its joint nuclear exercise with Belarus, showing troops training to equip an Iskander ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead.

The bilateral nuclear-sharing arrangement, which Moscow has compared to similar practices within NATO, was launched in 2023. Russia and Belarus said at the time that the move was a response to what they described as growing hostility from the US-led military bloc.

Several short-range Iskander missile systems have been stationed in Belarus. Matching "special munitions," the Russian military term for nuclear payloads, are stored separately at a secure facility.

The video published by the ministry on Thursday shows a drill involving the "delivery of nuclear munitions to field storage locations at the position of a missile brigade of the Republic of Belarus." The footage includes both nighttime and daytime handling of a warhead. Troops receiving the delivery proceeded to "discreetly move to an area designated for test launches."

A separate video highlighted key components of Russia's nuclear triad taking part in the larger exercise. It showed ground-mobile launchers for intercontinental ballistic missiles being escorted by security units, the deployment of the Imperator Aleksandr III nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean, and preparations for a test flight by a MiG-31K jet carrying a nuclear-capable Kinzhal hypersonic missile.

Moscow said this week's maneuvers are intended to prepare Russia and Belarus to act "in the conditions of aggression" by foreign states. European NATO members have been sharply increasing military spending and rearmament efforts, citing what they claim is a potential threat from Russia. Moscow has repeatedly denied any intention to attack the bloc.

Earlier this week, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys urged NATO to stage a demonstration of force to show its ability to "raze" military infrastructure in Russia's Kaliningrad exclave. The Kremlin described the comment as "borderline crazy."