Belarus will deploy Russian Oreshnik medium-range missiles from December.
The Belarusian army will put Russia's Oreshnik medium-range missiles on combat readiness from December. However, President Lukashenko said this would be suspended if Europe took similar steps.
According to RIA Novosti, Belarusian President's press secretary Natalya Eismont confirmed to RIA Novosti that Minsk will deploy the Russian Oreshnik medium-range missile system in combat readiness next December.
"The military reported this matter to the president today. The military has confirmed that the Oreshnik will be put into active service in December," said Natalya Eismont.
In addition, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that Minsk could suspend the deployment of the Oreshnik missile system if Europe is willing to take similar steps.
"The deployment of these weapons in Belarus is simply a retaliatory measure in response to the escalation of the situation in the region. Please put an end to this, and the talk about Oreshnik will cease," President Lukashenko stated at the Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security on October 28.
Lukashenko stated that several European countries have announced plans to deploy medium-range missile systems.
"Six years ago, I proposed the creation of a multilateral political declaration on not deploying intermediate- and short-range missiles in Europe – open to all interested countries to participate. Unfortunately, Belarus's proposal was ignored," the President of Belarus explained.
According to him, some EU countries are hoping to resolve the issue by shifting their economies to a state of war readiness. The Belarusian leader warned them of catastrophic consequences and called for an end to the arms race.
Lukashenko added that Europe is not ready for practical negotiations with Minsk; Belarus and Russia do not need to escalate tensions.
On November 21, 2024, Russia attacked a large Ukrainian military-industrial complex in Dnipropetrovsk, testing the Oreshnik medium-range missile system. When deployed in groups, an attack with this system has destructive power equivalent to using nuclear weapons, but it is not considered a weapon of mass destruction.
At the end of 2024, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko requested the deployment of the latest Russian weapons, including the Oreshnik system, on Belarusian territory. President Vladimir Putin responded that he believed this could be done in the second half of 2025.
In early August 2025, the Russian President announced that production of the Oreshnik medium-range missile had begun: the first mass-produced prototype had been delivered to the military. The issue of delivery to Belarus is likely to be resolved this year, and experts have already selected a site for installation.
