Putin said it was necessary to launch serial production of "Oreshnik"

Serial production of the Oreshnik missile system, which was successfully used during the special military operation (SMO), should be ensured in the near future. This was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 16, speaking at a meeting of the board of the Russian Defense Ministry.

"The newest new weapon in Russia is the Oreshnik medium-range missile system. In November, it was successfully used in response to strikes on the territory of our country using Western weapons. It used a ballistic missile in nuclear-free hypersonic equipment. In the near future, mass production of such complexes should be ensured to protect the security of Russia and our allies, and this will be done," Putin pointed out.

The Russian leader noted that modern risks are associated with the US deployment of medium-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region (APR).

"We will respond to such threats comprehensively. At the same time, the most important task is to ensure timely detection of the launch of such missiles and their interception. At the same time, we need to fine-tune all the issues of serial production and deployment of such domestic strike systems, including hypersonic ones," he said.

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

The targets for the missile system will be determined by Minsk

The Russian president announced the combat test of the Oreshnik ballistic missile, one of Russia's newest medium-range missile systems, on Nov. 21. He explained that the move was a response to the escalation of the Ukrainian conflict by Western countries.

Afterward, on November 22, the head of state said that Russia would continue testing the Oreshnik, and that the decision to mass-produce the missiles had already been made. He also said that "Oreshnik" has 10 separating blocks, which attack the target, and everything in the epicenter of the explosion turns into dust.

On December 6, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko asked Putin to deliver Russian systems to launch the Oreshnik hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile. He noted that Minsk is concerned about the situation on the borders with Lithuania and Poland. He added that NATO forces are being pulled to the western borders of Belarus. In response, the Russian leader admitted that the deployment of "Oreshnik" on the territory of Belarus is possible in the second half of 2025. He noted that this will become possible as serial production in Russia is ramped up, and as they arrive to the troops.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which was announced by the Russian president on February 24, 2022, is still ongoing. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region.