Belarus plans to have Oreshink ready to operate by December
(MENAFN) Belarus aims to have Russia’s Oreshnik medium-range, nuclear-capable missile system fully operational within its borders by December, according to presidential spokeswoman Natalia Eismont.
Eismont confirmed the timeline after President Alexander Lukashenko met with top military officials in Minsk on Tuesday, stating that the deployment is on track and dismissing any rumors of potential delays or cancellation.
Lukashenko has previously said that Minsk would only reconsider its plans if NATO countries in Europe agreed not to host similar nuclear-capable weapons. “Several European nations have already declared their intentions to deploy medium-range missile systems. Why should we be blamed [for responding in kind]?” he said at a recent security forum.
The Oreshnik system represents part of Russia’s new generation of deterrent weapons, developed after the US withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty during Donald Trump’s presidency. The INF Treaty had banned the production of such weapons by both countries.
A non-nuclear version of the Oreshnik was first tested in November last year, striking an arms facility in Ukraine. Moscow said the attack was in retaliation for Kyiv’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles against Russian territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that even the conventional variant of the Oreshnik can deliver destruction comparable to that of a tactical nuclear strike due to its advanced multiple warhead technology. He also issued a rhetorical challenge to NATO, proposing a “high-tech duel” between the Oreshnik and Western missile defense systems in Ukraine.
The scheduled deployment underscores the growing military cooperation between Moscow and Minsk. Both countries argue that their actions reflect NATO’s own “nuclear sharing” strategy, under which US nuclear weapons are stationed in several European member states.
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