{"id":565860,"date":"2026-08-05T21:51:07","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T18:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reform.news\/?p=565860"},"modified":"2026-08-06T11:47:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T08:47:29","slug":"fpri-belarusian-su-25s-in-nuclear-exercise-appeared-to-practice-survival-rather-than-nuclear-weapons-employment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/fpri-belarusian-su-25s-in-nuclear-exercise-appeared-to-practice-survival-rather-than-nuclear-weapons-employment","title":{"rendered":"FPRI: Belarusian Su-25s in \u2018Nuclear\u2019 Exercise Appeared to Practice Survival Rather Than Nuclear Weapons Employment"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The joint Russian-Belarusian exercise held in May<\/a>, officially presented as training for non-strategic nuclear deterrence forces, appears to have been largely demonstrative in the case of the Belarusian Su-25 attack aircraft. That is the conclusion reached by analysts at the American Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)<\/a>, who examined satellite imagery, photographs and video footage of the exercise.<\/p>\n

According to the study’s authors, Belarusian Su-25s did indeed participate in the exercise, but they found no evidence that the aircraft rehearsed the actual employment of tactical nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n

The Exercise Was Not Held in Lida<\/h2>\n

The study notes that a similar exercise in 2024 took place at Lida Air Base, home to the 116th Guards Assault Aviation Base, where Belarus’ Su-25 fleet is stationed.<\/p>\n

However, analysis of video footage from this year’s exercise showed that it was conducted elsewhere. By comparing taxiway layouts, the surrounding landscape and satellite imagery of Belarusian airfields, the analysts concluded that the aircraft were operating from the reserve airfield at Babruysk.<\/p>\n

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2026 exercise.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to the authors, satellite imagery indicates that three Su-25s arrived there between May 16 and 19 and departed between May 21 and 23, matching the estimated timeframe of the exercise.<\/p>\n