Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on state television his plan to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, claiming that it was in response to Britain's decision to send armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium to Ukraine. Belarus has long been requesting these weapons, and Putin stated that their storage facilities would be constructed in Belarus by July 1. However, Putin also insisted that Russia would not be violating any international nuclear obligations by doing so. The United States and its allies have expressed concern over the increased proliferation of nuclear weapons, especially with regard to their potential use in battle. TNWs are nuclear weapons with tactical applications that can be used to achieve specific battlefield goals, and Russia has a vast arsenal of such weapons, far greater than that of the United States, with around 2,000 operational tactical nuclear warheads. This move by Putin has worsened tensions with the West and heightened the risk of nuclear conflict, with Russian and NATO military forces on high alert.