Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to deploy Russia’s advanced Oreshnik hypersonic missile system in the republic.

Putin said he is open to doing this.

Key Facts:

Lukashenko’s request

• Lukashenko requested that the Oreshnik missile system be deployed in Belarus.
• He noted that if it is deployed, the Belarusian authorities should be the ones to determine its potential targets.
• Initially, Lukashenko says, Russia should be in charge of maintenance of the weapon.

Putin’s response

• Oreshnik could be deployed to Belarus in the latter half of 2025 when its production expands, Putin said.
• The Russian president noted that before deploying the Oreshnik missile system, some technicalities must be addressed, such as "defining its minimum range."
• The deployment in Belarus will proceed alongside the system’s integration into Russia’s Strategic Missile Force, he stated.
• Although the Oreshnik in Belarus will operate as part of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, target selection will be entrusted to Minsk, he noted.
• According to the Russian leader, "deploying these systems in the republic will cost very little in terms of infrastructure for their holding."

Oreshnik’s special characteristics

• Several Oreshniks could potentially do the same amount of damage as a nuclear weapon, but it is not a weapon of mass destruction, Putin explained.
• This missile system is a precision weapon, marked by pinpoint accuracy rather than destructive force, the Russian president specified.
• The strike power of the warhead of the Oreshnik missile system is inversely proportional to the system’s range.

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Sources: News Agency - Officials