Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday that its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has officially entered active service, marking a significant development as diplomatic efforts continue to find a path toward ending the war in Ukraine. According to the ministry, a brief ceremony was held to mark the deployment of the missiles in neighbouring Belarus, although officials did not disclose how many systems have been stationed there or provide further operational details.
President Vladimir Putin had earlier stated in December that the Oreshnik system would be placed on combat duty before the end of the month. He made those remarks during a meeting with senior military commanders, where he also issued a warning that Russia would seek to expand its territorial gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western backers refused to accept Moscow’s conditions in ongoing peace negotiations. His comments signalled that Russia views the missile’s deployment as both a military and political message at a time of heightened diplomatic manoeuvring.
The announcement comes amid renewed international efforts to bring the war to an end. US President Donald Trump recently hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida residence and claimed that both sides were closer than ever to reaching a settlement. Despite those remarks, negotiations remain stalled over major issues, including the withdrawal of forces, territorial control, and the future of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, one of Europe’s largest. Trump himself has acknowledged that the talks could still collapse without a breakthrough.
Putin, meanwhile, has continued to project confidence, presenting Russia as negotiating from a position of strength. Speaking to military officials earlier this week, he emphasised the importance of creating buffer zones along Russia’s borders and claimed that Russian forces were continuing to make gains in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk region, while maintaining pressure in the southern Zaporizhzhia area.
Russia first revealed the Oreshnik missile in combat conditions in November 2024, when it was used in a strike on a facility in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro that had once produced missiles during the Soviet era. The weapon, whose name translates to “hazelnut tree,” has since been portrayed by Russian officials as a major technological advancement. Putin has repeatedly highlighted its capabilities, saying the missile carries multiple warheads that descend at hypersonic speeds of up to Mach 10 and are effectively impossible to intercept with current air defence systems.
The Russian president has also warned Western nations that the missile could be used against NATO countries if they continue allowing Ukraine to strike targets inside Russian territory with long-range weapons supplied by the alliance. Russian military officials have added that the Oreshnik’s range allows it to hit targets across the entirety of Europe, significantly expanding Moscow’s strategic reach.
The missile falls into the category of intermediate-range systems, capable of traveling between 500 and 5,500 kilometres. Such weapons were previously banned under a Cold War-era arms control agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union, which both sides abandoned in 2019. With the treaty no longer in force, Russia’s deployment of the Oreshnik underscores the increasingly unstable security environment in Europe as the war in Ukraine continues with no clear end in sight.
