The Belarus Ministry of Defense on 30/12/2024 posted a video showing components of the Oreshnik hypersonic missile system. The footage, the first public glimpse of the previously secretive complex, captured a command vehicle, a launcher vehicle, and escort armored vehicles moving on a snow-covered road in a forest. Soldiers were then seen covering the equipment with camouflage netting. The exact time and location of the recording were not disclosed.
The Oreshnik complex on duty in Belarus in a video released on 30/12/2024. Video: Belarus Ministry of Defense
The Oreshnik systems have been placed on combat alert, according to a deputy commander of a Russian military unit quoted by Belarus state television on the same day. He emphasized that operating crews would undergo training and receive regular reconnaissance information.
Capable of striking targets up to 5,000 km away, the Oreshnik missile can carry conventional or special warheads. Launch sites can be located anywhere along the combat patrol route, Belarus state television reported. The term "special warhead" is commonly used by Russia to refer to nuclear warheads.
The Oreshnik projectile is equipped with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) technology, allowing each missile to carry up to 36 warheads. This capability makes it challenging for enemy air defense networks to counter.
The deployment of these systems in Belarus follows an announcement by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenka on 18/12/2024 that Russia would transfer no more than 10 Oreshnik complexes to his country. Belarus Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin stated last week that this decision was Minsk's response to "aggressive actions" from the West.
Western experts suggest that Oreshnik units stationed in Belarus could reduce the time required for Russian missiles to reach targets in Europe in the event of a conflict. This move also serves as a Russian nuclear deterrence message, aiming to prevent NATO from supplying Ukraine with weapons capable of striking deep into Russian territory.
Russia first used the Oreshnik missile in 11/2024 to strike the city of Dnipro, central Ukraine. Russian officials declared that Oreshnik reached speeds exceeding Mach 10, equivalent to nearly 11,000 km/h.
Ukraine's military commander Oleksandr Syrsky admitted in 1/2025 that few air defense systems globally could intercept Oreshnik, and Ukraine does not possess such a system. Commercial satellite images indicate that Oreshnik launchers may have appeared at an old airbase near the town of Krichev, over 300 km from the Belarus capital Minsk.
Thanh Danh (According to Belta, TASS, Reuters)
