Breaking News: Russia's Hypersonic Missile Move Sparks Concern
A potential game-changer in the European theater.
Recent satellite imagery analysis by U.S. researchers has revealed a likely new development in Russia's military strategy. Moscow appears to be setting up shop at a former airbase in eastern Belarus, specifically, a base for its nuclear-capable hypersonic ballistic missiles. This move could significantly enhance Russia's ability to strike across Europe.
But here's where it gets controversial: the researchers' findings align with U.S. intelligence, suggesting a coordinated effort to bolster Russia's nuclear capabilities. And this is the part most people miss: this is the first time since the Cold War that Moscow is basing nuclear weapons outside its territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has openly stated his intention to deploy intermediate-range Oreshnik missiles, with an impressive estimated range of 3,400 miles, in Belarus. The exact location, however, remained a mystery until now.
Deployment of the Oreshnik underscores the Kremlin's growing reliance on nuclear threats to deter NATO from supplying Kyiv with advanced weaponry. Some experts argue that this move is a direct response to the West's aggressive actions and a way to maintain the balance of power in Europe.
The Russian Embassy in Washington has not yet commented on these findings. The Belarus Embassy, too, has remained silent, while the state-run Belta news agency quoted Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin, who downplayed the deployment's impact on the European power dynamics.
REVISED RUSSIAN STRATEGY
Researchers Jeffrey Lewis and Decker Eveleth, from the Middlebury Institute and CNA respectively, based their assessment on imagery from Planet Labs. They are 90% certain that mobile Oreshnik launchers will be stationed at the former airbase near Krichev, strategically located between Minsk and Moscow.
Moscow tested a conventionally armed Oreshnik in Ukraine in November 2024, boasting of its incredible speed, reportedly exceeding Mach 10, making it nearly impossible to intercept. Putin plans to leverage this weapon's extended range by deploying it in Belarus.
John Foreman, an expert from Chatham House, sees this move as a reaction to the U.S.'s planned deployment of conventional missiles, including the intermediate-range hypersonic Dark Eagle, in Germany next year.
The timing of the Oreshnik's deployment is also significant, as it comes just weeks before the expiration of the 2010 New START pact, the last U.S.-Russia treaty limiting strategic nuclear weapons deployments.
Putin, after a December 2024 meeting with Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, confirmed that the Oreshnik could be stationed in Belarus this year, as part of Moscow's revised strategy to base nuclear weapons outside its borders.
Lukashenko recently announced the deployment of the first missiles, without specifying a location. He mentioned that up to 10 Oreshniks would be based in Belarus, but the American researchers assessed that the site near Krichev can accommodate only three launchers, suggesting other locations may be used.
U.S. President Donald Trump is working towards a deal with Moscow to end the war in Ukraine, as Kyiv continues to urge its Western allies to supply weapons capable of striking deep inside Russia. While Trump has rejected Kyiv's request for Tomahawk cruise missiles, Britain and France have supplied cruise missiles, and Germany has announced plans to co-produce long-range missiles with Ukraine, with no range or targeting limitations.
HURRIED CONSTRUCTION
The American researchers' analysis of Planet Labs imagery revealed a rushed construction project that began between August 4
