Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a big announcement amid the war with Ukraine. Putin stated that Russia has begun production of its latest hypersonic missile, the Oreshnik. He also reaffirmed plans to deploy it in Belarus before the end of 2025. Now, this move has raised the stakes in Europe’s security landscape.
Putin, speaking alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, said that the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile had officially entered military service and that deployment sites in Belarus had already been selected.
The Russian President said, according to India Today, “Preparatory work is ongoing, and most likely we will be done with it before the year’s end.” He added, “The first series of Oreshniks and their systems have been produced and entered military service.”
All about the Oreshnik hypersonic missile
The missile reportedly made its combat debut in November when Moscow fired it at a missile factory in Ukraine’s Dnipro. Notably, the missile is named after the Russian word for hazelnut tree.
The missile can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. It can reportedly travel at speeds of up to Mach 10, which is fast enough to evade Western missile defences, according to Russian military officials.
The Russian President said, “It’s multiple warheads that plunge to a target at speeds up to Mach 10 are immune to being intercepted.”
He added, “So powerful that the use of several of them in one conventional strike could be as devastating as a nuclear attack.”
Putin’s latest threat to NATO
Vladimir Putin recently issued a major threat to NATO and warned that this latest missile could be used against Western allies if they continue to supply Ukraine with long-range weapons.
He issued a major warning and said, “We’re warning the West. If Kyiv uses NATO-supplied missiles to strike Russia, we could respond using systems like Oreshnik, even beyond Ukraine.”
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
