Minsk, 19 December (Lake City Update) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has confirmed that Russia has deployed its latest nuclear-capable ballistic missile system, the ‘Orlanik’, on Belarusian soil. He shared this information during a press conference but did not reveal the number of missiles or other technical details regarding their deployment.
Belarus has long been a close ally of Moscow. During Russia’s extensive offensive on Ukraine in 2022, Belarusian territory was used for military operations. Additionally, Belarus provided logistical support, clothing, and equipment to Russian forces, although it did not directly deploy its own troops in the conflict.
Russia first used the ‘Orlanik’ missile in November 2024 in an attack on a defence industry site in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated the strike was in response to the use of American and British long-range missiles by Ukraine against Russian territory.
Putin described the missile as unstoppable and compared its destructive power to that of nuclear weapons. However, several military experts have questioned these claims. The deployment of the missile in Belarus may raise further concerns about regional security.