Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko warned Belarus could use the Russian nuclear-capable “Oreshnik” missile system if NATO or Ukraine strikes targets on Belarusian territory, responding to comments by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Earlier in February, in an interview with the Belarusian opposition outlet Zerkalo, the Ukrainian leader said that Russia and Belarus are staging a “show” around the deployment of the Oreshnik system in Belarus and that the weapon should be considered as a legitimate target by NATO.
“He (Lukashenko – ed.) should not play games, because after these steps, the Russians will bring the Oreshnik onto Belarusian territory without even consulting Lukashenko,” Zelensky said.
Lukashenko called the statement “absolute nonsense,” saying Belarus had no plans to launch strikes on neighboring capitals but would defend itself if threatened.
“I’m not saying we will strike Vilnius, Warsaw, or Kyiv with this ‘Oreshnik’ tomorrow. God forbid. That’s not our task,” Lukashenko said, speaking to journalists on Friday.
“Our task is to defend our country. But if you don’t want the ‘Oreshnik’ to strike, then don’t interfere with us – not from Ukraine, not from Poland, not from Lithuania, not from Latvia.”
He added that Belarus would not “sit and watch” if facilities on its territory were considered legitimate targets.
“We have the means to reach them,” Lukashenko said, advising critics “not to rattle their tongues.” If they consider the Oreshnik system a legitimate target, he said, “go ahead.”
Russia had reportedly deployed the newly developed missile in Belarus at the end of 2025. During the annual address in December, Lukashenko said the system had arrived in the country and had been placed on combat duty.
“Oreshnik has been in Belarus since yesterday. And it’s going on combat duty,” Lukashenko said.
Russia first unveiled the weapon after using it in a strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Nov. 21, 2024.
Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service said that Russia deployed the Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile in Belarus as part of a broader effort to pressure European countries.
According to Ukrainian officials, basing the system in Belarus would shorten flight times to European capitals compared with launches from Russia’s Kapustin Yar test range and could help shield the missile system from potential Ukrainian strikes.
Western analysts believe Oreshnik may be a modified version of the Soviet-era RS-26 Rubezh medium-range ballistic missile, with a range of more than 4,000 kilometers (about 2,500 miles) and the ability to carry multiple nuclear-capable or conventional hypersonic re-entry vehicles.
In October, Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Security Service of Ukraine, said Ukrainian forces destroyed one of three Russian Oreshnik launchers at Kapustin Yar in 2023, though he said details of the operation remain classified.