The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on December 31 that the Oreshnik hypersonic missile system - a new weapon capable of carrying nuclear warheads - has officially taken on a combat duty in Belarus.
This is the first time Moscow has confirmed that an Oreshnik system has been deployed and placed in combat readiness outside Russian territory.
In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that this medium-range missile system has "entered combat duty", and announced the first official images of the process of transporting and installing Oreshnik in Belarus, as well as the combat mission handover ceremony.
According to Moscow, all conditions regarding infrastructure, accommodation and technical assurance for the Russian forces have been prepared by Belarus in advance.
The combat teams in charge of launching, communication, protection and power supply have undergone retraining on modern systems before the system officially operates. This force is conducting reconnaissance of new patrol areas and getting acquainted with the deployment terrain.
Oreshnik was first announced by Russia in November 2024. At that time, a conventional warhead missile was used to attack a large military factory in Ukraine, in what Moscow called a "successful combat test".
The point that makes Oreshnik particularly noteworthy is its ability to carry many separate, independently guided warheads (MIRVs), moving at supersonic speeds.
According to Russian officials, each Oreshnik warhead still retains its control and maneuverability even in the final target approach phase, making interception extremely difficult.
Moscow even compared the destructive power of the conventional warhead version of Oreshnik to a low-power nuclear attack, showing a blurry line between the tactical and strategic roles of this system.
Meanwhile, Russian officials affirmed that Western armies currently do not possess an equivalent system that is both supersonic and carries MIRV warheads, giving Oreshnik a clear advantage in speed, flexibility and multi-target attack capability.
According to an agreement reached between Moscow and Minsk after the first combat trial, up to 10 Oreshnik systems will be deployed in Belarus.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that these missile systems were transferred to his country from December 17.
Belarusian Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Muraveyko affirmed that combat areas have been identified and the system is currently "completely ready for use".
Speaking to the Russian Ministry of Defense in mid-December, President Vladimir Putin said that Oreshnik would also be put on duty on Russian territory. He emphasized that this is part of a new generation of weapons to "ensures Russia's strategic balance, security and global position for decades to come".
Belarus is directly adjacent to 3 NATO member countries: Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. This makes Belarus an extremely sensitive geostrategic buffer zone between Russia and NATO.
Russia's deployment of Oreshnik missiles in Belarus therefore means that Russia's strategic weapon systems are placed right next to the NATO border.
