Belarus is producing launchers for Russian Oreshnik ballistic missiles, but the missiles themselves are not yet in the country, the illegitimate President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, told reporters in the Kremlin.
Points of attention
- Belarus is actively producing launchers for the Russian Oreshnik ballistic missiles under the leadership of Alexander Lukashenko.
- The deployment of Oreshnik missiles in Belarus is purported to be a response to US actions in Europe and a measure to enhance the country's security.
- There are contentions that the arrival of Oreshnik missiles in Belarus may not significantly alter Russia's military capabilities in the region due to existing weapons systems in Kaliningrad and other parts of Russia.
Lukashenko will fall for the production of the Oreshnik missile
There is no "Oreshnik" yet. We are working. But when I delved into this problem — Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin — ed.) immersed me — it turned out that, except for the rocket, everything needs to be manufactured. And we are doing it in Belarus. That is why we are working on it. Several launchers that are intended for "Oreshnik" — we are actually finishing manufacturing today, — said Lukashenko.
According to him, "we will need a missile" (before the launchers — ed.) from Russia.
On December 6, 2024, after signing the agreement on security guarantees between the "Union State of Belarus" and Russia in Minsk, Alexander Lukashenko asked Vladimir Putin to deploy new weapons systems in Belarus, in particular the "Oreshnik".
On January 26, Lukashenko said that Russian Oreshnik ballistic missiles could arrive in Belarus “any day now,” adding that Russia could deploy these missile systems in one of the Belarusian cities, for example, in Orsha, near Smolensk in western Russia.
Lukashenko claimed that Russia's deployment of Oreshnik missiles in Belarus was a direct response to the deployment of US missiles in Europe, and stated that the Oreshnik missiles would protect Belarus.
According to ISW, the deployment of Oreshnik missiles on Belarusian territory does not fundamentally change Russia's military capabilities towards Europe and Ukraine, as Russia has long had weapons systems with the same payload and longer range in Kaliningrad and elsewhere on the Russian mainland.
