Russian Prez Putin Confirms Hypersonic Missile Production, Plans Deployment to Belarus by Year-End

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Friday that Russia has commenced full-scale production of its newest hypersonic missile, the Oreshnik, and plans to deploy it to Belarus by the end of this year. 

Speaking alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Valaam Island, near St. Petersburg, Putin said that the first series of the weapon and its associated systems have entered military service.

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The Russian president said deployment sites inside Belarus had already been selected for the intermediate-range ballistic missile system, and that preparatory work at those locations was ongoing. 

“Most likely we will be done with it before the year’s end,” Putin said.

Russia first tested the Oreshnik missile in combat in November 2024, targeting a facility in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. The site had historical significance, as it was involved in missile manufacturing during the Soviet era.

Putin has described the missile’s capabilities in strategic terms, highlighting its speed--reportedly up to Mach 10--and its ability to deliver multiple warheads that are highly resistant to interception. 

According to Russian military officials, the Oreshnik can be equipped with either conventional or nuclear warheads and has a range sufficient to reach any target within Europe. Intermediate-range missiles like the Oreshnik are defined as having ranges between 500 to 5,500 kilometers (310 to 3,400 miles).

Putin also reiterated Russia’s stance that the Oreshnik could be used not only against Ukraine but also against NATO allies that allow Ukrainian forces to strike Russian territory using Western-supplied long-range weapons. 

Moscow has stated that the missile’s destructive power, particularly in conventional configurations, could equal that of a limited nuclear strike.

Russia’s announcement comes amid ongoing tensions with NATO and the broader West over the conflict in Ukraine. 

Moscow continues to criticize NATO member states for supplying Kyiv with increasingly advanced and long-range weapon systems.

The missile’s deployment to Belarus further deepens military integration between Moscow and Minsk. Last year, Russia and Belarus signed a new defense pact, granting Belarus formal security guarantees from Moscow--including the possible use of Russian nuclear weapons in the event of external aggression. 

Under this revised framework, Belarus is now formally under Russia’s nuclear umbrella.

Lukashenko has maintained close strategic ties with the Kremlin and has allowed Russian troops and tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil. 

While Russia has not disclosed how many such weapons are stationed in Belarus, Lukashenko stated in December that the country hosts several dozen.

The forward deployment of hypersonic and tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, which shares a 1,084-kilometer (673-mile) border with Ukraine and borders several NATO countries, extends Russia’s operational reach in Eastern and Central Europe. 

It also raises the stakes in the event of a broader military escalation in the region.

The Russian military’s doctrine, revised in late 2024, now explicitly allows for the use of nuclear weapons in response to non-nuclear aggression, provided such attacks threaten the sovereignty or territorial integrity of Russia or its allies--including Belarus.