Published: December 6, 2024 8:05 pm
Author: RT
Russia’s brand-new hypersonic ballistic system could be deployed in the neighboring country in the second half of 2025
After the presidents of Russia and Belarus signed security agreements in Minsk on Friday, Alexander Lukashenko asked Vladimir Putin about obtaining some of Moscow’s cutting-edge Oreshnik missiles. Putin said that the missiles could be deployed in Belarus in the second half of 2025, when the system fully enters service. Oreshnik missiles are capable of carrying kinetic warheads that strike at hypersonic speeds, that is up to Mach 10. Russia has already placed nuclear weapons in Belarus and expanded its nuclear protection to include Belarus as part of their Union State partnership.
READ the summary of the announcement in Minsk here.
As was expected, the Oreshnik missile could end up in Belarus.
We usually recommend that you familiarize yourself with the official transcript, and not be content with reprints in the media.
For our part, we will note some interesting details.
1. The decision on a deployment was made after a request of the Belarusian side.
2. The decision was made based on the security guarantees agreement signed today; we are waiting for the full text.
3. In any case, Oreshnik remains part of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces (RSMF).
4. The deployment is planned using infrastructure from the Soviet era, which is not surprising, but the condition of this infrastructure needs to be further assessed. There are some doubts that this would require minimal expense.
5. We don’t know how exactly the Belarusian leadership will choose and convey the targets to certain missile regiments of the RSMF. We think it means while Belarus may have some input or influence in determining targets, the final decision-making authority rests with another party – probably an advisory voice without a vote.
6. An even bigger question is how the combat control system will look like added to the new version of the medium-range missiles.
7. It is true that the power of the warhead is inversely related to the range, the South Koreans can confirm this.
8. We hope that the comparison of the outcomes between a group strike using high-precision non-nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons focused on the ability to hit specific types of targets, rather than on the level of destruction each weapon can cause.
9. It’s worth noting that the deployment is planned for the second half of 2025. We think that Russia has given Donald Trump’s administration about half a year to engage in a constructive dialogue about the moratorium.
This article was first published by ‘Vatfor,’ a Russian independent analytical project, and was translated and edited by the RT team
