The weapons were deployed to Russia’s ally Belarus during a short ceremony on Dec. 30.
Moscow’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service, Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced on Dec. 30.
Russian troops held a brief ceremony marking the occasion in Belarus, where the missiles have been deployed, the ministry added in a statement post on Telegram.
It did not say how many missiles had been deployed or give any other details.
Belarus, which shares a border with Russia, has been a longtime ally of Russia and has supported its war with Ukraine, with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko regularly speaking highly of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Just recently, in accordance with the agreement between our heads of state, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko, Russian Oreshnik missile systems began operational use in the republic,” Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov said in a New Year’s message to Minsk, Russian state news agency TASS reported. “This step is a clear confirmation of the effectiveness of the bilateral interstate agreement on security guarantees within the Union State, which entered into force in March.”
Putin said earlier in December that the Oreshnik would enter combat duty this month, making the announcement at a meeting with top Russian military officers.
At the same summit, he said that Moscow would look to extend its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin’s demands in peace talks.
Moscow first used the Oreshnik, meaning “hazelnut tree” in Russian, against Ukraine in November 2024, when it fired the weapon at a former missile factory in Dnipro.
Putin has often sung the weapon’s praises, saying that its multiple warheads, which can fly at speeds of up to Mach 10, are impossible to intercept owing to their astonishing velocity.
He has described their effect as turning the target “into elementary particles—essentially turning it into dust,” and likened their effect to that of a meteorite strike.
He has also warned that Moscow could use Oreshniks against NATO nations that have permitted Ukraine to use their longer-range missiles to strike inside Russia.
Russia’s missile forces chief has said that the Oreshnik, which can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, has a range allowing it to reach all of Europe.
The Oreshnik is categorized as an intermediate-range missile, meaning it has a range of between 310 and 3,400 miles.
By Guy Birchall
