Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Russia may deploy its new Oreshnik intermediate-range hypersonic missile on the territory of its ally Belarus in late 2025. This comes after a summit with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, where they signed a mutual defense pact.
Putin stated that Belarus will determine the targets for the Oreshniks based on their own territory. The Russian leader first used the Oreshnik missile at Ukraine’s Dnipro city in November 2022, casting it as a response to Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied missiles.
The Oreshnik has been touted by Putin as being impossible to intercept and having destructive power comparable to that of a nuclear weapon. However, some Western experts have questioned the claims about the missile’s capabilities, citing its similarities to an intercontinental system Russia had tested before shelving its development.
Belarus is strategically located near NATO member countries Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania. The new defense treaty aims to enhance security for both Russia and Belarus.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-belarus-sign-treaty-security-guarantees-kremlin-says-2024-12-06