Overview

• President Vladimir Putin confirmed on August 1 that the first series of Oreshnik hypersonic missiles has completed production and entered military service.
• Deployment sites in Belarus have been selected and preparatory work is under way, with full operational basing expected before the end of 2025.
• The intermediate-range system carries multiple warheads that plunge at speeds up to Mach 10 and can deliver either conventional or nuclear payloads across Europe.
• Last year’s security pact between Putin and Lukashenko formally extended Russia’s nuclear umbrella over Belarus and lowered the threshold for preemptive use.
• Kremlin leaders present the deployment as a deterrent against NATO support to Ukraine and as a warning of potential strikes on allies supplying long-range arms.