The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus has confirmed the deployment of the Russian missile complex known as “Oreshnik,” also referred to by Ukrainian intelligence sources as “Kedr,” on Belarusian territory.
The measure was officially announced on September 25 by the self-proclaimed president Alexander Lukashenko.
According to the Belarusian diplomatic service, the installation of the system is justified as necessary to “protect its own security” and should not be interpreted as a sign of an arms race or escalation of regional conflict. So far, there has been no official reaction from neighboring states, including Ukraine.
Origin and capabilities of the system
The medium-range missile was developed based on the RS-26 Rubezh. According to information from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the real name of the system is not “Oreshnik,” but rather “Kedr.”
Among its known characteristics are:
- Six warheads, each equipped with six submunitions.
- Speed exceeding Mach 11 in the final phase of flight.
In December 2024, Lukashenko had stated his intention to receive the Russian missiles, mentioning former Soviet sites that once housed strategic nuclear complexes. The latest announcement indicates that the planned timeline has been followed.
It is still unclear whether the units transferred to Belarus are equipped with nuclear warheads.
The context is also marked by the end of the INF Treaty (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty), which was terminated in August 2019 and previously prohibited the development and deployment of intermediate-range missiles by the United States and Russia.
Source: Telegram @rian_ru | @mod_russia. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
