Moscow’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service, Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced on Dec. 30.
It did not say how many missiles had been deployed or give any other details.
Belarus, which shares a border with Russia, has been a longtime ally of Russia and has supported its war with Ukraine, with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko regularly speaking highly of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin said earlier in December that the Oreshnik would enter combat duty this month, making the announcement at a meeting with top Russian military officers.
At the same summit, he said that Moscow would look to extend its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin’s demands in peace talks.
Moscow first used the Oreshnik, meaning “hazelnut tree” in Russian, against Ukraine in November 2024, when it fired the weapon at a former missile factory in Dnipro.
He has described their effect as turning the target “into elementary particles—essentially turning it into dust,” and likened their effect to that of a meteorite strike.
He has also warned that Moscow could use Oreshniks against NATO nations that have permitted Ukraine to use their longer-range missiles to strike inside Russia.
Russia’s missile forces chief has said that the Oreshnik, which can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, has a range allowing it to reach all of Europe.
The Oreshnik is categorized as an intermediate-range missile, meaning it has a range of between 310 and 3,400 miles.
This type of weaponry was banned under the Soviet-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between Washington and Moscow, which was abandoned in 2019.
This alleged attack has prompted Russia to reassess its position on the ongoing peace talks, the country’s foreign minister said.
All drones were destroyed, he said. It was not immediately clear whether Putin was in the building at the time.
“Such reckless actions will not go unanswered,” Lavrov said, adding that the alleged attack amounted to “state terrorism.” He said that Ukrainian targets had already been selected for retaliatory strikes by Russia’s armed forces.
Lavrov noted that the alleged attack took place during negotiations about a possible Ukrainian peace deal and that while Russia would not leave the negotiations, Moscow’s position will be reviewed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Lavrov’s claims were a lie and that Moscow was preparing the ground to strike government buildings in Kyiv.