Russia to deploy hypersonic missiles in Belarus by 2025
In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko attend a signing ceremony during a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, at the presidential palace in Minsk on December 6, 2024. (AFP Photo)
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Friday that Moscow plans to deploy its newly developed hypersonic Oreshnik missiles in Belarus by the second half of next year, marking a significant step in escalating military tensions amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Putin revealed that the Oreshnik missiles, which have a nuclear capability, are being mass-produced in Russia. He made the comments during a televised meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. “As for the possibility of deploying such formidable weapons as Oreshnik on Belarusian territory… it will become possible, I think, in the second half of next year,” Putin said.
The missile was unveiled last month after being used by Russia to strike Dnipro, a city in central Ukraine. Its deployment in Belarus would mark another phase of Russia’s military strategy, which has already included the placement of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus in 2023. The Oreshnik missile, believed to travel at speeds up to 10 times the speed of sound, has the potential to strike targets up to 3,400 miles away.
The close military alliance between Russia and Belarus has grown stronger since the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Experts have raised concerns over the potential for the new missile to further destabilize the region, as Belarus continues to support Moscow’s actions in the conflict.
Tactical nuclear weapons, unlike the larger strategic nuclear weapons intended for mass destruction, are designed for more localized, battlefield use but still possess immense destructive power. The announcement underscores Russia’s intent to bolster its military presence in Belarus, intensifying the stakes as the war in Ukraine approaches its third year.
