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24 December, 13:27
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Belarus confirms receipt of ten Oreshnik missiles from Russia

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has confirmed that his country has received ten nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile systems from Russia.

Responding to a reporter’s question on December 22, after an informal meeting of leaders of Commonwealth of Independent States member states, Lukashenko said Belarus could receive only up to ten Oreshnik missiles.

The acquisition significantly enhances the operational reach of the Belarusian Armed Forces and represents a major shift in their ability to respond to the extensive and rapidly expanding military capabilities of neighboring NATO states.

The Oreshnik system is capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads and can function either as a strategic deterrent - able to threaten major European urban centers - or as a tactical weapon against enemy ground formations. This purchase aligns with Belarus’s earlier acquisition of Russia’s Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile systems, some of which are also equipped with nuclear payloads.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday Oreshnik system had entered the combat duty, without providing any further details. Putin said this during a meeting with senior Russian military leaders, cautioning that Moscow would aim to expand its territorial advances in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western backers refuse the Kremlin’s conditions in peace negotiations.