Putin says Oreshnik missile systems to be deployed in Belarus in 2025
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Lukashenko proposed that Russia oversee the maintenance of the missile systems until Belarusian personnel are adequately trained.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attend a signing ceremony following a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Russia-Belarus Union State marking the 25th anniversary of the Union State Treaty in Minsk, Belarus, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP)
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has formally asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to deploy Russia's Oreshnik missile systems on Belarusian territory, citing their strategic value in countering geopolitical rivals.
Speaking after the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Minsk on Friday, Lukashenko said, "Recently, Russia successfully launched the Oreshnik [missile], this had some impact on our former partners and current rivals… I would like to publicly ask you to have the new weapons systems, primarily Oreshnik, deployed on the territory of Belarus."
Lukashenko proposed that Russia oversee the maintenance of the missile systems until Belarusian personnel are adequately trained and expressed Belarus' interest in determining the potential targets for these weapons.
Read more: Russia's Oreshnik missile launch making West think: Hungary's Orban
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that the deployment of Oreshnik missile systems in Belarus could occur in the second half of 2025, following an increase in serial production and integration into Russian strategic forces.
"Since we have today signed a treaty on security guarantees using all available forces and means, I believe that the deployment of such complexes as Oreshnik on the territory of the Republic of Belarus is possible," Putin said, adding that technical issues, including determining minimum range, need to be resolved before deployment.
Putin also noted that Belarus would simultaneously receive the missile systems alongside the Russian military.
Belarus to decide targeting
While the Oreshnik systems would remain part of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, Putin stated that Belarus would have authority over selecting targets.
"The determination of targets on the territory of a probable enemy will certainly be the prerogative of the military and political leadership of Belarus," he explained.
Read more: Russia hopes Oreshnik 'signal' to West 'taken seriously': Lavrov
This comes in light of the recent military buildup of NATO troops along the eastern flank. In late November, the New York Post reported that Berlin has secretely begun planning for the deployment of up to 800,000 NATO troops.
According to the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, top-secret documents revealed particular structures and infrastructure to safeguard so that the military may use them, as well as how companies and people can prepare in the event of heightened threats.
They also hinted that Berlin was planning to move 200,000 military vehicles across German soil if the alliance was forced to help Ukraine's operations, though additional specifics were kept confidential.
