Orešnik missiles have taken up combat duty in Belarus, Moscow and Minsk confirm deployment

The Belarusian and Russian defence ministries have confirmed that the Russian Oreshnik medium-range missile system has been put into combat service on Belarusian territory. The information was published along with a video of the ceremony.

„A ceremony marking the commencement of combat duty by a unit equipped with the Oreshnik mobile ground-based missile complex was held in the Republic of Belarus.“ said the Russian Ministry of Defence.

The Belarusian Ministry of Defence stated that after the missile system was put on standby for its designated deployment and inspected by a joint comprehensive group, the Oreshnik system's battalion of launchers began performing combat duties in designated areas within the country.

The Oreshnik missile system arrived in Belarus following a decision taken by Russian and Belarusian officials. Before it was put into combat service, combat launch crews, communications units, security and power supply personnel, and driver-mechanics for individual components of the system underwent advanced training on modern simulators.

According to the Belarusian Ministry of Defence, the system is capable of striking targets at a distance of up to 5,000 km, can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads, and is capable of launching from any point along its combat patrol route. Some media outlets refer to the system as hypersonic.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of serial production of Oreshnik missiles in the summer and said that they could be deployed in Belarus later this year. The Russian army used the non-nuclear version of the Oreshnik for the first time in November last year during an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Russia has been waging war against Ukraine since February 2022; at the beginning of the invasion, Minsk allowed Russian armed forces to enter Ukraine from Belarusian territory.

Last week, the Belarusian Minister of Defence Viktor Khrenin stated that the deployment of the Orešnik missile system on the territory of the republic is a response to „aggressive actions by Western opponents“.

Two years ago, Minsk and Moscow also signed documents concerning the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. These weapons are designed to achieve specific military objectives directly on the battlefield and are characterised by lower destructive power and more limited range compared to strategic nuclear weapons, which serve to deter and destroy large areas.

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