On December 30, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that the Oreshnik missile system capable of carrying nuclear warheads has officially been put into operation, as the parties continue to seek breakthroughs in negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine.
According to the announcement, military units held a short ceremony in Belarus - the neighboring country where these missiles were deployed. However, the Russian Ministry of Defense did not disclose the number of missiles or other specific details.
Previously, in early December, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the Oreshnik system would begin its combat mission this month.
The statement was made by Mr. Putin at a meeting with top generals, warning that Moscow will seek to expand its advantages on the battlefield if Kiev and Western allies reject the Kremlin's requests for peace talks.
Russia first used the Oreshnik missile - which in Russian means "thief" - aimed at Ukraine in November 2024, when it launched this test weapon at a factory in Dnipro, a facility that used to produce missiles during the Soviet era.
President Putin has repeatedly praised Oreshnik's capabilities, saying that this type of missile has multiple warheads, crashes into targets at speeds up to Mach 10 and is almost impossible to intercept.
He also warned the West that Moscow could use Oreshnik against NATO allies of Ukraine - countries that have allowed Kiev to use long-range missiles provided by them to attack deep into Russian territory.
The commander of the Russian missile force added that Oreshnik - which can carry conventional or nuclear warheads - has a sufficient range to reach all of Europe.
