Russia deployed nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles in Belarus, claiming they are “impossible to intercept,” as analysts warn the move heightens tensions with Nato and expands Moscow’s reach across Europe and potentially the US west coast
Russia on Tuesday announced that its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles have entered active service in Belarus, a neighbouring ally that shares borders with Nato members Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.
According to The Guardian report, President Vladimir Putin claimed the weapons are “impossible to intercept,” citing speeds reportedly more than ten times the speed of sound.
Analysts say the deployment could enable Russian nuclear missiles to reach European targets more quickly if stationed in Belarus. The intermediate-range missiles, with a reported range of around 5,500 km (3,415 miles), could potentially strike anywhere in Europe or even the US west coast from Russian territory.
A video released on Tuesday by both the Russian and Belarusian defence ministries showed the missiles being transported into forests and camouflaged with netting, though it did not specify the exact locations of the missile systems within Belarus.
“The Oreshnik missile division began performing combat duty tasks in designated areas in the country,” The Guardian quoted Belarus’s Defence Ministry as saying.
Some Western experts have said the development underlines the Kremlin’s growing reliance on the threat of nuclear weapons as it seeks to deter Nato members from supplying Ukraine with weapons that can strike deep inside Russia.
Two US researchers have said that, according to their study of satellite images, Moscow is probably stationing the missiles and their mobile launchers at a former air base in eastern Belarus, reported Reuters.
Since November 2024, President Putin has intensified nuclear threats, following Moscow’s formal decision to lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons —a move widely interpreted as signaling a readiness to respond aggressively to perceived threats.
Shortly thereafter, Russia deployed the newly introduced Oreshnik missile, armed with a conventional warhead, on the battlefield in Dnipro, Ukraine.
The use of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik marked a significant escalation and posed a major challenge to European missile defences.
Named after the hazel shrub, the Oreshnik is believed to be an intermediate-range missile capable of striking targets anywhere in Europe and reaching the US west coast.
In addition, in October, Putin announced the testing of a new nuclear-powered cruise missile, the Burevestnik, further highlighting Russia’s focus on advancing its strategic missile capabilities.
With inputs from agencies
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