– From one day to the next Oriesnik will be here. We have agreed with President Putin that the next system will be installed in Belarus sooner than in Russia, Lukashenko said at a press conference, as quoted by Belarusian independent website Zerkalo.io. He added that no date has yet been specified for Mr. Oleshnik’s possible extradition to Belarus.
– We will not refrain from nuclear weapons, no. But it’s a terrifying weapon. The oleshnik is a formidable weapon, but not that terrifying. Let’s do it together, he added.
Lukashenko announced that the system would be installed “near Smolensk.” He said the plan to deploy Oleshnik in Belarus emerged “in response to the American willingness and ability to deploy intermediate-range missiles in Europe.”
Belarus is strengthening its alliance with Russia. A new system is also in preparation
In December, Putin and Lukashenko signed a mutual security agreement in Minsk. It was announced that Belarus will receive Oleshnik intermediate-range ballistic missiles from Russia. President Putin announced that this could happen in the second half of 2025, when serial production of these systems will increase in Russia and they will enter service in the Russian army.
The Oreshnik is a nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile used by Russia to attack a Ukrainian weapons factory in the city of Dnipro in November.
After the invasion of Ukraine began using the territory of Belarus, Russia announced its intention to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of the ally. In December 2023, President Lukashenko claimed that the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus had been completed, but there is no clear assessment of this issue among Western experts due to the difficulty of verification.
Contrary to statements by the Belarusian military authorities and Lukashenko himself, any action related to these weapons is up to the decision of the Russian government. Experts say the topic is being used for propaganda purposes.
Mr. Piotrovsky: It is unthinkable that Mr. Trump is “Putin’s dog”/RMF FM/RMF
