Russian and Belarusian armed forces have begun joint non-strategic nuclear weapon exercises, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday, marking the “second stage” of wider drills announced by Moscow early last month. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the latest stage of “the exercises are aimed at maintaining the readiness of personnel and equipment of units for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons,” adding that they would “ensure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Union State.” The Union State is a political and economic union established between Russia and Belarus and aims…