Russia announced that the new Oreshnik hypersonic missile system deployed in Belarus is now on combat duty

Russia’s Ministry of Defense reported that the Oreshnik intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile system has officially entered combat duty in Belarus, marking a new step in military cooperation between Moscow and Minsk.

According to a statement released on December 30, an official ceremony was held on Belarusian territory to mark the system’s operational status. “A solemn ceremony was held in the Republic of Belarus to place the unit equipped with the mobile Oreshnik missile system on combat duty. The flag of the Strategic Missile Forces was raised after the completion of the military ritual marking the system’s entry into service,” the ministry said in an official statement.

Prior to the system entering service, assigned personnel—including launch crews, communications, security, power supply teams, and driver-mechanics—completed advanced training using modern simulators, according to information released by Russian authorities.

Deployment and evidence on Belarusian territory

In late December, Belarus’ Ministry of Defense published an official video which, according to the ministry, shows the deployment of the Oreshnik system on its territory. The footage includes a flag-raising ceremony with Russian troops and a convoy of vehicles moving toward a field position, where they were covered with camouflage nets.

However, the published material did not clearly show TEL (Transporter Erector Launcher) vehicles, but rather mainly support units. This raised questions as to whether the launchers and missiles are already present in the country or located at other facilities. Belarusian authorities did not specify the exact location or the recording date of the video.

During the video, a senior officer informed the troops that the systems had formally entered combat duty and mentioned the regular conduct of training and reconnaissance tasks by the crews.

Possible location and satellite analysis

Researchers specializing in strategic weapons analyzed satellite imagery pointing to the possible installation of the Oreshnik system at a former air base near Krichev, in eastern Belarus, about 300 kilometers southwest of Moscow. Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and Decker Eveleth of CNA stated they were “90 percent confident” that mobile launchers for the system would be located there, if they were not already.

According to the analysts, construction work detected at the site between August and September is consistent with a strategic missile base, including a rail transfer point with security measures and a concrete platform “consistent with a camouflaged launch point.” The site would be capable of hosting at least three launchers.

These assessments “generally align with U.S. intelligence findings,” according to an anonymous source cited in reports.

Official confirmations and background

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed on December 18, 2025, that the Oreshnik system had already been deployed and was operational. “We have had it since yesterday, and it is already on combat duty,” he said during a message to the public and parliament, broadcast by state media.

The announcement followed the Zapad-2025 joint strategic exercises held in September, during which Belarus had already anticipated drills related to the system’s deployment. In that context, Belarusian Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Muraveiko stated that the maneuvers included the emplacement of the missiles and the simulation of the use of “non-strategic” nuclear weapons.

Characteristics of the Oreshnik system

The Oreshnik missile is an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic system capable of carrying nuclear warheads. It was publicly unveiled in late 2024, when it was first used in an attack against a military-industrial facility in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, employing a non-nuclear payload.

One day after that attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia already had a stockpile of Oreshnik missiles manufactured and that serial production had been organized. Subsequently, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported that the Russian Armed Forces have a brigade equipped with this system.

Putin claimed that the Oreshnik is an “impossible-to-intercept” missile and highlighted its high destructive potential in statements disseminated by Russian state media.

*Images for illustrative purposes.

*Translated by Constanza Matteo.

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