Lukashenko reveals nuclear warheads deployment, Oreshnik next
3 Min Read
Belarusian President Lukashenko confirms the presence of nuclear warheads in the country and outlines plans for the Oreshnik launch pad and missile deployment with Russian support.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pose for a photo prior to a in Minsk, Belarus, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP)
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko revealed on Tuesday that the country currently hosts dozens of nuclear warheads, stating, "I transported nuclear warheads here. More than a dozen pieces," according to Belta state news agency.
Lukashenko also outlined plans for the Oreshnik launch pad, which Belarus will build independently, while Russia will supply the missiles free of charge by the second half of 2025. He emphasized the weapon's power, noting, "There is no antidote against this weapon. It is impossible to intercept it, shoot it down, and so on."
Highlighting the strategic intent behind the deployment, Lukashenko expressed confidence in the deterrent effect of the Oreshnik system, drawing parallels with tactical nuclear weapons, which have also been brought into Belarus.
Lukashenko further revealed that Belarus is currently evaluating where to place the weapons, with approximately three dozen sites remaining from the strategic nuclear missile deployments of the past. "We will choose, because there should be a minimum distance to the affected objects," he added.
Putin says Oreshnik missile systems to be deployed in Belarus in 2025
Earlier, Lukashenko had 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.
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.
Read more: US to increase deployment of missile systems in Europe, Asia
