Belarus to have Russia’s Oreshnik missile system ready to operate soon
(MENAFN) Belarus has announced plans to have Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik medium-range missile system fully operational on its soil by December, according to presidential spokeswoman Natalia Eismont. She confirmed the schedule following a meeting between President Alexander Lukashenko and senior military officials in Minsk, noting that the deployment is proceeding as planned and dismissing suggestions of delays or cancellation.
Lukashenko had previously stated that the only circumstance that could change Minsk’s plans would be if European NATO countries 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 conference.
The Oreshnik system forms part of Moscow’s latest generation of deterrence weapons, developed after the US withdrew from the 1987 INF Treaty, which prohibited both nations from producing such missiles. A conventional variant of the system was first tested last November, striking an arms plant in Ukraine. Russian officials said the target was chosen in retaliation for Kiev’s use of long-range weapons supplied by the US and UK.
President Vladimir Putin emphasized that even the non-nuclear version can deliver effects comparable to a tactical nuclear strike due to its multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs). He also issued a challenge to Western nations for a “high-tech duel” between the Oreshnik and their anti-missile systems in Ukraine, though analysts interpret the remark as rhetorical.
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