Belarus has started taking the delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons, president Alexander Lukashenko announced, claiming that some of these were three times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Mr Lukashenko said “the bombs are three times more powerful than those (dropped on) Hiroshima and Nagasaki”, adding to his previous statement that he didn’t simply ask Mr Putin for the weapons, but "demanded" them. The Vladimir Putin ally was speaking to Russian state TV channel Rossiya-1 on a road in a forest clearing with military vehicles and a storage facility visible in the background seen around him. This will be the first such warhead deployment by Moscow, comprising shorter-range less powerful nuclear weapons that could potentially be used on the battlefield, outside of Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. The interview was posted on the Belarusian Belta state news agency’s Telegram channel on Wednesday. This comes five days after the Russian president announced plans to start deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, even as Moscow will retain their control, after the special storage facilities to park them were ready. Mr Lukashenko further confirmed his close ally’s statement in the state television interview where he said Belarus has numerous nuclear storage facilities from the Soviet-era and has restored five or six of them. On control of nuclear weapons in Russia’s hands as a move to prevent the arsenal from being used up quickly, Mr Lukashenko played down the concern and said that Mr Putin and he could pick up the phone to each other “at any moment”. Just hours before on Tuesday, he had said that the Russian tactical nuclear weapons will be physically deployed on the Belarusian territory “in several days” and he had the facilities to host longer-range missiles too if ever needed. Mr Lukashenko further alleged that Belarus has “always been a target” for the West. "They (the West) have wanted to tear us to pieces since 2020. No one has so far fought against a nuclear country, a country that has nuclear weapons," Mr Lukashenko said, adding that the nuclear deployment will act as a deterrent against potential aggressors. Belarus has been an active participant in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as it has consistently allowed its territory to be used by Russian forces to attack Kyiv. The first announcement of tactical nuclear weapons was made in March by Mr Putin who had blamed the US deployment of such weapons in a host of European countries over many decades. The US, however, maintained that it did not see any signs of Russia’s willingness to prepare for nuclear weapons use in the continuing invasion, as it criticised the decision of deployment by Mr Putin. Read More Putin says Russian tactical nuclear weapons to be deployed to Belarus next month The dam attack in Ukraine is a ruthless act of destruction – and shows just how desperate Putin is US, allies clash with Russia, China over North Korea's failed military spy satellite launch Watchdog: Nuclear states modernize their weapons, Chinese arsenal is growing What weapons does Russia have? Deadly arms Putin uses in Ukraine from phosphorus bombs to hypersonic missiles

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Pep Guardiola has hailed Terry Venables as an inspirational and visionary leader following the former England manager’s death at the age of 80. Guardiola, the Manchester City boss, remembers well the impact Venables had at his boyhood club Barcelona in the 1980s. Guardiola was both a ballboy and a youth player at the Nou Camp when Venables coached the Spanish giants, guiding them to the domestic title in 1985 and the European Cup final the following year. A photograph has emerged on social media of a young Guardiola looking on from pitchside as Venables celebrated one particular triumph. “As a Barcelona fan, he gave us La Liga after 11 or 12 years,” said Guardiola, who went on to captain and manage Barcelona himself. “His impact there was incredible. “In that era I was 13 or 14 years old. It was the first time I saw us win La Liga. For many years it was not possible because of other teams. “He introduced something that had never been (done there) before, especially a certain type of pressing and the set-pieces. He introduced many, many things. “A true gentleman for the people. Unfortunately, he could not win the Champions League in that time, with the final against Steaua Bucharest, but it’s a big loss for English football. “I was a ballboy so I wasn’t in contact with him, I just gave the ball to his players, but I remember talking to friends of mine, who did play with him, and their words for him were not just as a manager but as a person – so funny, appearing on programmes, singing Frank Sinatra. “He was a proper, proper man. I am so sorry for his family.” Former England goalkeeper David Seaman has also paid tribute to Venables. Seaman was England’s number one when they reached the semi-finals of Euro 96. The 60-year-old told Good Morning Britain: “First of all it was a really sad day yesterday and when I started seeing the clips and all the tributes coming in, all I could remember was the smile on his face. He always had a smile on his face even when he was angry, if I’m honest. “He was just a great guy, he was brilliant at man-to-man management. “He was just brilliant and with Euro 96 everything just got better and better and I’ll never forget the day before Euro 96 and he came up to me when he just got the job, looked me straight in the eyes and said, ‘You’re my England number one’ and the confidence I gained from that was just brilliant and something I’ll never forget.” Gareth Southgate missed the all-important penalty in the Euro 96 semi-final shoot-out loss to Germany. He was just a great guy, he was brilliant at man to man management David Seaman Seaman recalled memories during his time under Venables and drew comparisons with the current England boss, insisting Southgate has learned a lot from ‘El Tel’. He continued: “You didn’t feel that disappointed because he actually told us that we had achieved something special here. “I know we had gone out in the semi-final but he wanted us to know we had really achieved something. We got England to the semi-final at Wembley and the most important thing he’d done was that the England fans started loving the England team again because of the way we played. He was just a really nice guy. “Gareth will have learned a lot from Terry because Gareth very rarely loses it and that’s what Terry was like. He was always calm and confident and that’s what he’s learned from him that you don’t have to be really loud on the sidelines. You’d just watch and learn. “The way Terry treated Gareth, it just shows you the class of the manager and he was just a really special guy.” Read More They were there like animals – Pep Guardiola wants City team and fans together Bruno Fernandes talks up Alejandro Garnacho after stunning goal at Everton Son Heung-min hurt by defeats but ‘very pleased’ with way Tottenham are playing David Seaman pays tribute to ‘great guy’ Terry Venables Football rumours: Victor Osimhen keen on making Chelsea move On this day in 2007: Christine Ohuruogu wins appeal against Olympic ban

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