On December 30, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the country’s nuclear-armed hypersonic “Oreshnik” (Hazelnut) medium-range missile system has been deployed and is now in active service, stationed within its ally Belarus.
In a statement posted on Telegram, the Russian Ministry of Defense included a video and added that a brief ceremony was held in Belarus to commemorate the deployment of the missile system.
Reports from the Russian state-owned media TASS stated that this was the first public display of the “Oreshnik” mobile missile system. President Putin had previously claimed that the missiles from this system can travel at speeds exceeding 10 times the speed of sound, making them “unstoppable” due to their incredible velocity, likening their effect to that of a meteor impact.
Russian Ambassador to Belarus, Boris Gryzlov, in his New Year greetings to Minsk, stated that as per agreements between President Putin and President Lukashenko, the Russian-made “Oreshnik” missile system has recently been deployed for combat in Belarus, confirming the effectiveness of the Security Treaty of the Union States that came into effect in March.
Putin announced in early December during a meeting with senior Russian military officials that the “Oreshnik” system would be put on combat duty this month.
Belarus shares borders with Ukraine, as well as NATO members Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, and supports Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.
Putin had warned that Moscow might use the “Oreshnik” missiles against NATO countries allowing Ukraine to use their long-range missiles to strike inside Russian territory. The commander of the Russian missile forces stated that the “Oreshnik” missiles, capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads, have a range that covers the entirety of Europe.
The exact location of the deployment of the “Oreshnik” system was not disclosed in the video released by Russia, but a military blogger from the country confirmed it to be an abandoned air force base with the designation Krichev-6 in Belarus. Two American researchers also verified this location.
In the video, a senior Russian military officer informed the troops that the systems had officially become operational.
In November 2024, Russia had conducted its first test against a target in Ukraine with a conventional armed “Oreshnik” missile. Putin had expressed intentions to mass-produce this new type of missile, stating that the “Oreshnik” missile is a highly precise weapon that, if used extensively, would have effectiveness and power comparable to nuclear weapons. Classified as a medium-range missile, it has a range between 310 to 3,400 miles.
According to reports from TASS, after being launched from the Kapustin Yar test range in the Astrakhan region of Russia (located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea), the missile would take 17 minutes to reach the NATO headquarters in Brussels, 15 minutes to arrive at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, and 11 minutes to reach the missile defense base in Redzikowo, Poland.
Such weapons were previously banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty from the Soviet era, which was signed between Washington and Moscow and was terminated in 2019.
Leading up to the deployment of the missile, the Kremlin accused the Ukrainian military of attempting to attack President Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region on December 29.
However, some Western officials have expressed doubts about the capabilities of the “Oreshnik” system. An American official in December 2024 had stated that they do not believe the “Oreshnik” would alter the current situation on the battlefield.
The deployment of the “Oreshnik” system once again puts the spotlight on the situation in Belarus. President Lukashenko of Belarus, an ally of Putin, has supported Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Combined with the controversy surrounding the 2020 presidential election, Belarus has faced sanctions from the West, leading to disruptions in trade and a slowdown in economic growth.
Recently, Lukashenko has increased contact with the United States, releasing hundreds of political prisoners, including opposition leaders. In September this year, the US announced partial easing of trade sanctions, allowing Belarus to export potash. Potash is Belarus’s main export product and its only abundant mineral resource.
While negotiating with the US government, Lukashenko had hinted at the deployment of the “Oreshnik” missile system in Belarus by Russia and mentioned that the number of “Oreshnik” missiles deployed in the country would not exceed a few dozen.
On December 18, Lukashenko publicly stated that preparations were being made for a “major agreement” with the United States to restore relations, emphasizing that Russian interests would not be sacrificed.