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Putin to equip Belarus with nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty with Belarus on Friday, providing security guarantees that include the potential use of Russian nuclear weapons to repel aggression.
The agreement underscores Russia’s deepening military ties with its closest ally, Belarus, amid heightened tensions with the West over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Speaking in Minsk alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin highlighted the expanded defense cooperation outlined in the pact. “I’m sure that the treaty will ensure the security of Russia and Belarus,” Putin said in televised remarks.
Lukashenko used the occasion to publicly request additional advanced weapons systems for Belarus, including the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, also known as RS-26. “I would like to publicly ask you to deploy new weapons systems, primarily Oreshnik, to Belarus,” Lukashenko said. “It will help calm some heads.” Putin responded that Oreshnik missiles could be deployed to Belarus in the second half of next year.
The Oreshnik missile system gained prominence last month when Russia used it for the first time against Ukraine. Putin described the missile’s capabilities, noting that its multiple warheads, capable of traveling at 10 times the speed of sound, are immune to existing air defense systems.
According to Russian military officials, the Oreshnik missile can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads and has a range that covers all of Europe. Its deployment to Belarus would enhance the region’s strategic deterrence, further solidifying Belarus’s role in Russia’s defense framework.
Putin’s endorsement of a revised nuclear doctrine last month formally lowered the threshold for Russia’s use of nuclear weapons. The doctrine allows for nuclear responses not only to nuclear threats but also to conventional aggression against Russia or its allies that threatens their sovereignty or territorial integrity.
Belarus has played a key role in supporting Russia’s military efforts, including allowing its territory to be used for the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Lukashenko, who has relied on Russian subsidies and political backing to maintain his 30-year rule, has welcomed the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil.
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