Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says his country has bought Iskander short-range ballistic missiles and S-400 air defense systems from Russia.

Belarus's state-run news agency reported that Lukashenko disclosed the purchases during a meeting with a Russian regional governor on Thursday.

The president reportedly said he reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and bought as many of the Iskander missiles and S-400 systems as his country needed. He is said to have added that Belarus's army has been equipped with the weapons.

Lukashenko said, "It is a totally different army now thanks to such weapons. It can deliver colossal, unacceptable damage."

He also expressed hope that Iskander missiles will be manufactured in Belarus. He said he will hold talks with Putin to discuss the issue.

Observers say Russia is trying to keep the West in check by deploying nuclear-capable short-range ballistic missiles in Belarus. This comes as tensions between Moscow and NATO continue to deepen, due to the situation in Ukraine. Russia and Belarus are close allies.