Russia Unveils New Hypersonic Missiles in Belarus

• Russia has begun the production of new hypersonic missiles.
• Plans for their deployment in Belarus have been confirmed by the end of the year.
• The missiles are capable of reaching all corners of Europe.

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, announced that Russia has started the production of new hypersonic missiles and confirmed plans for their deployment in Belarus by the end of the year. Putin made these statements during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Valaam Island, near St. Petersburg.

The military has already selected locations for the deployment of the Oreshnik missiles, which are medium-range missiles. Putin noted that preparatory work is ongoing and will likely be completed by the end of the year. The first series of Oreshnik missiles have already entered military service.

These missiles, which were first used against Ukraine in the fall of last year, are capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads. Putin emphasized that the speed of the descent of the warheads reaches Mach 10, making them practically undetectable for interception.

Russian military officials also reported that the missiles can reach all corners of Europe. The range of the medium-range missile is between 500 and 5500 kilometers. Previously, such types of weapons were banned under agreements during the USSR era, which the USA and Russia signed in 2019.

Last year, Putin and Lukashenko signed an agreement ensuring the security of Belarus, including the possibility of using Russian nuclear weapons for defense against aggression. This marked a shift in the Kremlin's nuclear doctrine, which for the first time included Belarus under the Russian nuclear umbrella amid increasing tensions with the West due to the conflict in Ukraine.

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for over 30 years, allowed Russia to use the territory of the country for launching troops into Ukraine in 2022. Belarus has a 1084-kilometer border with Ukraine, which allows Russian aircraft and missiles to quickly reach potential targets.

The recent changes in Putin's nuclear doctrine have reduced the threshold for using nuclear weapons, allowing their application in response to aggression using conventional weapons.

Tags: Russia/Politics