On Oct 28, Belarusian press secretary Natalia Eismont announced the planned deployment of Russia’s Oryshnik missile system in Belarus, while President Lukashenko confirmed no aggression.
Press announcement
Belarusian presidential press secretary Natalia Eismont informed Russian state agency TASS on Tuesday, Oct 28, that the Oryshnik medium‑range missile system would be deployed in Belarus. She added that the system will be placed on standby in December, closing the debate over its construction.
President Lukashenko’s statement
In an interview, President Alexander Lukashenko denied that the project constitutes an act of aggression. He stressed that the installation of Oryshnik is not linked to any bellicose policy.
Putin’s 2023 defence pact
In December last year, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko signed a mutual defence agreement. Putin later remarked that deploying the Oryshnik on Belarusian territory is feasible and that, with increased serial production in Russia, the systems would enter service in the second half of next year.
Expert analysis
Editor‑in‑chief Andrzej Kijinski of the military magazine “Wojsko i technika” argues that the Oryshnik deployment is purely propagandistic. He points out that, from a military standpoint, positioning the system on Belarusian soil would expose it to rapid NATO attack and that the missile could instead be stationed past the Ural Mountains to reach European targets.
