Overview
- Russia’s Defense Ministry said the nuclear-capable, intermediate-range Oreshnik system has entered active service in Belarus, offering no figures on how many launchers were deployed.
- Belarusian footage showed mobile launchers and crews operating on forest roads with locations withheld and no indication of warhead status.
- Lukashenko has said up to 10 systems will be stationed, while U.S. researchers point to a likely site at the former Krichev airbase based on satellite imagery.
- Moscow and Minsk tout a range around 5,000 kilometers and hypersonic speeds near Mach 10, claims that Western officials and experts view with caution.
- The announcement comes as U.S.-brokered Russia‑Ukraine talks continue and Moscow makes disputed claims of a strike on Putin’s residence, reinforcing perceptions of heightened nuclear messaging.