Zelenskyy: Ukraine tracks Russian Oreshnik missile system deployment in Belarus

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine knows the locations in Belarus where Russia intends to deploy its Oreshnik missile system, and that this intelligence is being shared with international partners.

Speaking to Ukrainian media outlet UNIAN, Zelenskyy described the weapons as a threat to multiple countries.

“The Oreshnik cannot be shot down by drones. The Russians have already used it against Ukraine, so we know how to counter it,” he said.

The Oreshnik, or “hazelnut tree,” is a Russian hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile derived from the RS-26 Rubezh. It is capable of carrying multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) and reaching speeds in excess of Mach 10. 

The system is dual-capable, with both conventional and nuclear potential, and Russian authorities claim it is uninterceptable. To date, it has only been used in combat once, on November 21, 2024, when it was launched from Kapustin Yar in Russia against the Pivdenmash (Yuzhmash) defence plant in Dnipro, Ukraine. 

The missile carried six MIRVs with submunitions, likely dummy warheads, and while the strike caused fires and some damage, overall destruction was limited.

By Aghakazim Guliyev