Looking ahead to the Zapad 2025 Exercise scheduled for next month, Belarus’ Minister of Defense has stated that neighboring Russia will deploy its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile, in conjunction with a series of drills that will also include the use of nuclear weapons. The statement by Minister Viktor Khrenin has drawn particular interest, coming just over a month after reports emerged that Moscow had begun production of this weapon, and only days before a planned meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in Alaska to discuss a possible end to the war in Ukraine.
Delving into some details, it is worth recalling that this edition of the Zapad Exercise will take place from September 12 to 16, with Belarus hosting. According to the Ministry of Defense in Minsk, the activities will provide an important opportunity for the country’s personnel to become familiar with the use of the new Oreshnik missile and various types of nuclear weapons in the Russian arsenal, while simultaneously sending a deterrence message to the West, which the Belarusian government views as a military threat.
Quoting some of Minister Khrenin’s remarks: “This is an important element of our strategic deterrence. As the head of state requires, we must be ready for anything. We see the situation on our western and northern borders and we cannot calmly watch the militarization and military activity. We demonstrate our openness and peacefulness, but we must always remain safe.”
It is also worth noting that the news of sending Oreshnik missiles for the aforementioned exercises comes as an early demonstration of what the Russian leader announced last week—namely, that his country will no longer place limits on the locations where intermediate-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads can be deployed. In what is undoubtedly a vicious cycle, the Kremlin has stated this is in response to increasing militarization along the borders Russia and Belarus share with NATO members, while countries such as Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia have also voiced concerns over Russian military activity and are acting accordingly.
In the particular case of the Oreshnik missiles, it should be recalled that they have reportedly already been used by Russia in combat against Ukrainian positions defending the city of Dnipro, in retaliation for a series of Western-supplied ATACMS and Storm Shadow missile strikes. Their launch was carried out by the Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation. Initially, reports indicated that the attack had been conducted using RS-26 Rubezh missiles, but later U.S. intelligence reports—and even statements by President Putin—shifted the focus to the Oreshnik.
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