Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Friday that Russia is set to deploy new medium-range hypersonic missiles, known as Oreshnik, in Belarus by the second half of 2025. This announcement follows a request from Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenko during a summit in Minsk, where both leaders signed a mutual defense agreement.
Putin emphasized that the deployment of these missile systems in Belarus is a matter of “implementation” following the signing of the security guarantee agreement. He noted that the Oreshnik missiles would be placed in Belarus as production ramps up in Russia, with these systems becoming operational within Russia’s strategic forces in the near future.
The Oreshnik missile was first tested in November 2023, when Russia launched it over the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in response to Ukraine’s use of U.S. ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles, with Western permission, to strike Russian territory.
Putin warned that Russia could again use the Oreshnik missile, including targeting “decision-making centers” in Kyiv if Ukraine continues to attack Russian territory with long-range Western weapons.
In an interview published Thursday evening, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told American journalist Tucker Carlson that the use of the Oreshnik missile serves as a signal that the West must take Moscow’s actions seriously.
Putin also stated that Belarus will be responsible for setting the targets for the Oreshnik missiles stationed within its territory. He emphasized that the newly signed mutual defense agreement between Russia and Belarus would ensure the secure defense of both nations.
Additionally, last month, Putin signed amendments that lower the threshold for using nuclear weapons in response to a broader range of conventional attacks. The changes also extend Russia’s nuclear umbrella to cover Belarus, despite the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Belarus after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. However, Putin announced last year that Russia would deploy tactical nuclear missiles in Belarus as a deterrent against the West.
Lukashenko clarified in October that any use of Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil would require his prior approval.
