The Russian announcement that the missiles have entered active service in a country bordering Ukraine and NATO member states Poland, Lithuania and Latvia comes amid growing tensions in the region and apprehension among Europeans over a possible move by Russia to expand the conflict to central Europe. Placing these weapons with Moscow’s ally would allow Russian nuclear missiles to reach European targets a little more quickly in any conflict.
The official TASS news agency said it was the first time the Russian Defense Ministry had demonstrated mobile Oreshnik missile systems. Although the exact location where they were deployed has not been revealed, released images show mobile launchers and their teams driving on roads through a forest and specialist troops camouflaging the systems with nets.
Putin claims that the destructive power of the Oreshnik is comparable to that of a nuclear weapon, even when equipped with a conventional warhead. The intermediate missiles have a range of up to 5,500 kilometers, which would allow them to attack anywhere in Europe or the western United States from Russia.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin, had already announced at the beginning of the month that Moscow would send missiles to his territory. In February 2022, Lukashenko authorized Russian troops to use his country to invade Ukraine, triggering the current war. The president, however, did not send Belarusian troops to fight alongside Russian forces in the neighboring country.
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