Belarus will put Russia's Oreshnik medium-range missile into combat duty from December.

According to RIA Novosti, Belarusian Presidential Press Secretary Natalya Eismont confirmed to RIA Novosti that Minsk will deploy Russia's Oreshnik medium-range missile system in combat readiness next December.

"Today, the military reported to the president on this issue. The military confirmed: The Oreshnik's entry into combat duty will take place in December," said Natalya Eismont.

Along with that, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced that Minsk could suspend the deployment of the Oreshnik missile system if Europe was ready to take similar steps.

"The deployment of these weapons in Belarus is nothing more than a retaliatory measure against the escalation of the situation in the region. Please stop this, and the talk about Oreshnik will stop," President Lukashenko said at the Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security on October 28.

Mr. Lukashenko said that some European countries have announced plans to deploy medium-range missile systems.

"Six years ago, I proposed to develop a multilateral political declaration on not deploying medium- and short-range missiles in Europe - open to all interested countries. Unfortunately, Belarus's proposal was ignored," the Belarusian president explained.

According to him, some EU countries are hoping to solve the problem by putting their economies on a war footing. The Belarusian leader warned them of dire consequences and called for an end to the arms race.

Mr Lukashenko added that Europe was not ready for real talks with Minsk; Belarus and Russia did 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 the destructive power equivalent to the use of nuclear weapons, but it is not considered a weapon of mass destruction.

In late 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 the production of the Oreshnik medium-range missile had begun: the first serial sample was transferred to the military. The issue of delivery to Belarus may be resolved this year, and experts have already selected the installation site.