Russia to deploy Oreshnik missile systems to Belarus by end of 2025, official says
Moscow is planning to deploy multiple Oreshnik missile systems to Belarus by the end of 2025, State Secretary of Belarus' Security Council Alexander Volfovich said on May 28.
The "Oreshnik" is an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that Russia touts as an experimental weapon capable of bypassing advanced air defense systems.
In December 2024, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko requested Moscow deploy 10 Russian Oreshnik missile systems in Belarus, pro-Kremlin journalist Alexander Yunashev reported on his Telegram channel.
"The locations for its deployment have already been determined," Volfovich said, without specifying how many missile systems would be deployed.
The Kyiv Independent cannot verify claims made by Belarusian officials.
On Nov. 21, 2024, Russia launched an Oreshnik missile against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. The Oreshnik missile is designed to carry nuclear weapons, however, the missile was not armed with a nuclear warhead during the attack.
Russia launched the Oreshnik missile against Ukraine following Kyiv's first successful use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles on a military target in Russia. Moscow later acknowledged additional ATACMS strikes on targets in Kursk and Bryansk oblasts.
While Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed Russia has begun mass production of the Oreshnik, a U.S. official told The Kyiv Independent that Moscow likely possesses "only a handful" of these experimental missiles.
Belarus has been a key ally to Moscow and has previously been reported as hosting Russian tactical nuclear arms on its territory, after the two countries signed an agreement in May 2023.
Lukashenko said in December 2023 that the transfer of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus was completed in early October.
Despite the claims, Ukrainian foreign intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko said in an interview with Ukrinform published on May 26 that Belarus possesses nuclear weapon delivery systems but no warheads.
Read also: Belarus has nuclear weapon delivery systems but no Russian warheads, Ukrainian intel chief says
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Justice is coming for Vladimir Putin
STRASBOURG, FRANCE — It is not often that one gets a front-seat view on history as I (literally) did last week, sitting in the visitors' gallery at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and listening to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he addressed European lawmakers on the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. The agreement setting up the new court was signed minutes earlier by Zelensky and Alain Berset, secretary general of the Council of Europe, on behalf of its 46 member states.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Ukraine Sees Mixed Results at the 2025 NATO Summit
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Foreign officials and senior delegates met at The Hague for the 2025 NATO summit last month. During the two-day event, they emphasized the importance of collective security, explored ways to enhance the defense industrial base, and addressed Alliance defense spending. Aside from these topics, NATO members also discussed the organization's relationship with Ukraine, as well as Russia's ongoing war. In previous years, NATO-Ukraine relations were a key focus of the summit. In 2022, NATO members stated that they would directly contribute to Ukraine's defense. They also openly condemned Russia's "war of aggression against Ukraine," and members agreed to send weapons and technology to Ukraine. Then, in 2023, Alliance members established the NATO-Ukraine Council, a body that "advance[s] political dialogue, engagement, cooperation, and Ukraine's aspirations for membership in NATO." The NATO-Ukraine Council also "provides for joint consultations, decision-making, and activities." Outside of the establishment of this group, NATO members removed a membership action plan requirement for Ukraine. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks after the signing of an agreement for establishing a special tribunal to try top officials responsible for Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, on... Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks after the signing of an agreement for establishing a special tribunal to try top officials responsible for Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, on June 25, 2025. More FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP via Getty Images During the 2024 summit, NATO members stated that they would "station a senior civilian officer in Kyiv" so that Ukrainian officials could work more closely with NATO representatives. They also established the Ukraine Compact program that would "provide Ukraine with weapons, ammunition, and training necessary to repel Russian forces." The discussions held at the 2022, 2023, and 2024 summits, along with the actions taken during and after the meetings, signaled that the Alliance was ready, willing, and able to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Events at the 2025 NATO summit, however, presented a different tone. The NATO-Ukraine Council was initially supposed to be a prominent part of the summit. In addition, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was to play a key role alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and other officials. But the agenda significantly changed. This was reportedly because the United States did "not see Ukrainian security as essential to European security," and the U.S. wanted Ukraine to have less involvement at the 2025 summit. As a result, President Zelensky was only invited to the NATO-Ukraine Council working dinner event. This marked a significant shift from previous NATO summits, during which President Zelensky held several high-level meetings with officials from NATO member states. Additionally, not everyone attended the NATO-Ukraine Council dinner. This further suggested that NATO members had relegated the importance of NATO-Ukraine relations. Furthermore, some officials publicly denounced Ukraine's future with the Alliance. During the 2025 NATO summit, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that "NATO has no business in Ukraine." Similarly, members of the Trump-Vance administration stated that Ukraine should not join NATO. The declaration issued at the end of the 2025 NATO summit saw a change in tone regarding Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Unlike the NATO summits from 2022 to 2024, which mentioned Russia's war and NATO's relationship with Ukraine dozens of times, the 2025 joint statement only listed Ukraine twice. The declaration also did not condemn Russia's war. This was a significant departure from previous summits. Many supporters of Ukraine were left disappointed. They were puzzled by NATO's new approach, and some even argued that this was a victory for Russia. Critics will be right to question why NATO took a lesser approach in condemning Russia's war in the NATO declaration this year. But actions speak louder than words. During the summit, Alliance members committed to future assistance to Ukraine by linking aid to the new 5 percent annual gross domestic product (GDP) threshold for defense spending. This is particularly significant, as the decision is a victory for both NATO and Ukraine. Including defense aid to Ukraine in the calculation of the 5 percent GDP threshold will help NATO members meet this commitment. It also allows Ukraine to continue defending itself against Russia. Intertwining aid to Ukraine with NATO's defense framework suggests that Ukraine will continue to be part of the Alliance's strategic planning. This is much more important to Ukraine than words issued in the summit's final declaration. In addition, NATO members pledged to provide €40 billion in defense aid to Ukraine in 2025. According to reports, €35 billion in security assistance has already been supplied to Ukraine this year. This suggests that, despite some political tensions within the Alliance toward Ukraine and Russian aggression, NATO members remain committed to supporting Ukraine. Finally, while Zelensky was not as involved as he had been in the 2025 NATO summit as in previous years, he did still meet with Secretary-General Rutte. In addition, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska reaffirmed that NATO is committed to "sustain[ing] and strengthen[ing] support to Ukraine." Overall, the 2025 NATO summit presented mixed messages to Ukraine. On the one hand, NATO has articulated that it will continue to provide unwavering support for Ukraine. It will send tens of billions of euros in defense assistance to Ukraine. Additionally, NATO members will assist Ukraine in strengthening its defense industrial base. Finally, aid to Ukraine will be intertwined with defense spending commitments made by NATO members. But on the other hand, Ukraine's role at the 2025 NATO summit was relegated. Several officials from member states questioned or criticized Ukraine's future with the Alliance. Finally, supporters of Ukraine were hoping for firmer commitments from NATO during the summit, but this never came. Ukraine received mixed results during the 2025 NATO summit. Given this ambiguity, time will tell how the NATO-Ukraine relationship will unfold. Mark Temnycky is a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center and a freelance journalist covering Eurasian affairs. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Tuesday, July 1. Russia's War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine
KYIV, UKRAINE - JUNE 29: Kyiv residents shelter in subway amid a Russian drone-and-missile strike on ... More June 29, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo by Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,224. Russian Attacks and War Developments Russia hit Ukraine with the most massive aerial barrage of the war to date on the evening of Jun 28 and into the early hours of June 29. The strike included 60 missiles, significantly more than any other recent large-scale attack, along with 477 drones and decoys, marking the second-highest drone deployment. Only the fierce June 9 attack a few weeks earlier saw more drones utilized, with 479 units dispatched. Ukrainian forces intercepted 39 missiles and shot down 249 drones, as well as electronically jamming an additional 226 drones. Impacts were recorded in six locations, but no civilian deaths were reported. While repelling the attack, Ukraine lost its fourth F-16 fighter jet. Although details surrounding the loss remain undisclosed, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posthumously bestowed the title of Hero of Ukraine on pilot Maksym Ustymenko, who reportedly downed seven aerial targets that night. In total, over the past week, Russian forces launched 114 missiles, more than 1,270 drones, and nearly 1,100 glide bombs at targets across Ukraine, according to President Zelenskyy. Russia also tested new weapons during its attacks last week, including the 'Grom-E1' rocket-assisted glide bomb, or hybrid missile glide bomb, which Ukraine's air defenses shot down near the city of Dnipro in central Ukraine. At the same time, Russian forces used a new drone called 'Chernika' for the first time in strikes on Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv. The 'Chernika' drone carries a warhead of similar explosive force to other Russian drones but has a different design. Despite being made with inexpensive components, it features advanced guidance systems. In an apparent effort to expand its air fleet, Russia is reportedly working to boost production of combat aircraft at the Kazan Aviation Plant, according to the Institute for the Study of War. The plant builds strategic bombers such as Tu-160M, as well as helicopters, and aims to increase output by 2028. However, the facility will likely struggle to fulfill new production goals due to sanctions and labor shortages; it delivered only a few bombers in 2024. Spike in Civilian Deaths The United Nations has reported a sharp increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine. During the six-month period starting December 2024, the U.N. found a 37% increase in civilian deaths compared to a similar timeframe the previous year. At least 968 civilians were killed and over 4,800 injured. Nearly half of these casualties resulted from air-dropped munitions and missile strikes on densely populated areas. In addition, the Kremlin's reported use of cluster munitions in some of its attacks, which disperse submunitions over wide areas to maximize destruction, contributed to a rise in casualties. The report also points to systematic human rights abuses, including credible evidence of executions of prisoners of war. The U.N. documented the killings of at least 35 Ukrainian POWs and one Russian captive. Among other reported atrocities are torture, electric shocks, sexual violence, and other forms of abuse. 'These are not isolated incidents - they point to well-documented patterns of widespread and systematic torture,' said Danielle Bell, head of the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Russia Seizes Key Ukrainian Lithium Field Russian forces captured a second major lithium field in Ukraine on June 26. Shevchenko field, located near an eponymous village in eastern Donetsk region, measures less than 100 acres, yet is home to one the largest high-grade lithium deposits in the country, and all of Eastern Europe. Its reserves are roughly estimated at 1.2 million tons of ore with lithium concentration above 1.5%. Countrywide, Ukraine's lithium reserves are estimated at 500,000 metric tons. Russia now controls two of Ukraine's four largest known lithium deposits, including one in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region. The other two major lithium fields are in central Ukraine, away from the front lines. This loss exposes a vulnerability in the U.S.-Ukraine minerals partnership, which grants American companies priority access to Ukraine's strategic resources. 'This deposit will definitely find a license holder,' stated Vladimir Ezhikov, a Russian-appointed official in the occupied Donetsk region, in a Kremlin-run media outlet last year, signaling Moscow's intent to exploit the asset. Currently, resources valued in the billions of dollars remain under Russian occupation, deposits that the Ukrainian government could otherwise license to international partners. Under occupation, however, such opportunities are effectively foreclosed. By Danylo Nosov, Karina L. Tahiliani
