Belarus is expected to receive the Russian Oreschnik hypersonic missile system in the coming days, according to the country’s President, Alexander Lukashenko.
During a press conference on Sunday, Lukashenko stated that the non-interceptable hypersonic missiles will be stationed near the border with Russia, specifically mentioning the city of Smolensk, approximately 60 kilometers from the Belarusian border. However, he left open the possibility of relocating the systems in the future.
“We will receive Oreschnik in the coming days. We have agreed with President Vladimir Putin that the next completed systems will be delivered to Belarus first”Lukashenko said.
Lukashenko justified the choice of location, citing the specific characteristics of the technology. “It is disadvantageous if the target is too close. But even if it is far away, the missiles can still carry a smaller payload to the target”he explained.
Oreschnik is a tactical medium-range missile developed by Russia, capable of reaching speeds of up to 10 Mach and evading Western missile defense systems. It can be equipped with multiple conventional and nuclear warheads.
Oreschnik was first used against Ukraine, in response to Ukraine’s attacks on Russia with Western-supplied systems. Russia has repeatedly emphasized that the use of these weapons constitutes a direct involvement of the supplying countries, as it requires cooperation with the military forces of the supplying countries.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also stated that the deployment of Oreschnik is a response to the United States’ plan to station medium-range missiles in Europe.
Belarus had previously expressed interest in acquiring at least ten Oreschnik missile systems, with Russian President Putin indicating that this would be possible at the earliest in the second half of 2025.
In 2023, Russia had already stationed tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil at the request of Lukashenko. Further information to follow.