Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday that Russia has deployed a newly developed hypersonic, nuclear-capable missile known as the Oreshnik on Belarusian territory and placed it on combat duty.
“Oreshnik has been in Belarus since yesterday. And it’s going on combat duty,” Lukashenko said during his annual address. He had previously said the Russian missile system would be placed on combat duty in December.
Russia first unveiled the weapon last year after using it in a strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Nov. 21, 2024. Moscow had already stationed tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus in 2023 and earlier said it could deploy the Oreshnik missile there by the end of 2025.
Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service said Saturday, Dec. 13, that Russia is preparing to deploy the Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile in Belarus as part of a broader effort to pressure European countries.