Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has stated that Ukraine and NATO countries should not “meddle” in Belarus, lest they be struck by the “Oreshnik” missile system. He made these remarks whilst commenting on a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the missile system deployed in Belarus could be considered a legitimate target for the alliance.
“This isn’t even newsworthy. It’s utter nonsense, and only fools talk about it. I’m not saying that tomorrow we’ll fire this ‘Oreshnik’ at Vilnius, Warsaw or Kyiv. God forbid. That’s not our job. We need to protect our country. And to ensure the ‘Oreshnik’ doesn’t fire, don’t meddle in our affairs. Not from Ukraine, not from Poland, not from Lithuania, not from Latvia. Let’s resolve issues in a civilised manner,” said Lukashenko.
He stated that he was not making threats, but that Belarus would not stand idly by if targets on its territory were deemed legitimate. Lukashenko also emphasised that the “Oreshnik” is a mobile weapon.
“A dozen decoys. That is, ten vehicles will set out on the route. Looking down from above — ten ‘Oreshniks’. But there will only be one. So there is always an antidote for any poison,” he added.
According to Lukashenko, in December 2025, at his request, the “Oreshnik” missile system was deployed on Belarusian territory and entered combat duty. The decision on the possible use of the system, he said, will be taken jointly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.