Mezentsev called Minsk's request for the placement of "Oreshnik" a signal to the West

Minsk's request to Moscow to deploy the newest missile system "Oreshnik" on the territory of the republic is a signal to the West. This was stated by Secretary of State of the Union State Dmitry Mezentsevon December 6.

Earlier in the day, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to deliver Russian complexes for the launch of "Nutshell" on the territory of the country. Putin, in turn, allowed the deployment of the corresponding complex on the territory of the republic in the second half of 2025.

"This is a new stage in improving the defense potential of the Union State. It's also a signal to our enemies: don't provoke Russia and Belarus to those actions, for which the West will be ashamed later and will have to answer to its people," Mezentsev told reporters in Minsk after the meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Minsk.

He also noted the West's desire to escalate the conflict in Ukraine, as, according to Mezentsev, Kiev's allies do not think about Ukrainian citizens, but only seek to realize their geopolitical interests without the participation of the Russian Federation as an equal partner.

The Union State Secretary urged to wait for the response of countries unfriendly to Russia and noted that the reaction to the signal will be an indicator of the political maturity of many Western leaders.

Mezentsev also called Lukashenko's request logical and fitting into the system of ensuring unified security of the Union State.

Commonwealth aid: Putin is ready to deploy Oreshnik in Belarus in 2025

The targets for the missile system will be determined by Minsk

During the meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State, held in Minsk on December 6, Putin and Lukashenko signed a treaty on security guarantees between the two countries. As specified by the Russian leader, the document defines mutual allied obligations to ensure defense, protection of sovereignty, independence and constitutional order of Russia and Belarus, as well as the inviolability of the territory of the external border of the Union State.

In turn, State Secretary of the Belarusian Security Council Alexander Volfovich said that Moscow would protect Minsk in a difficult moment, and Belarus could always be expected to respond with support.

Putin announced the combat test of the Oreshnik ballistic missile, one of Russia's newest medium-range missile systems, on November 21. He emphasized that the move was in response to the escalation by Western countries in Ukraine. In the following days, the head of state specified that Russia would continue these tests and that the decision on the serial production of the missiles had already been made.