Russia's nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles have entered active service, Moscow says
Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service, Russia’s Ministry of Defense says, as negotiators continue to search for a breakthrough in peace talks to end Moscow’s war in Ukraine
Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has officially entered active service, the country’s Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday, as diplomatic efforts continue to seek a resolution to Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine. The deployment of the advanced weapon system took place in neighbouring Belarus, where troops participated in a brief ceremony to mark its operational status.
While the ministry confirmed the activation, it refrained from disclosing the number of missiles deployed or providing further specific details regarding the system’s capabilities or location within Belarus. This move follows earlier remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December, who stated the Oreshnik would be combat-ready this month.
During a meeting with senior Russian military officials, Putin had warned that Moscow intended to expand its territorial gains in Ukraine should Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin’s demands during peace negotiations.
The announcement coincides with a sensitive period for Russia-Ukraine peace discussions. Donald Trump recently hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort on Sunday, asserting that Kyiv and Moscow were "closer than ever before" to reaching a peace settlement.
However, negotiators are still searching for a breakthrough on key issues, including whose forces withdraw from where in Ukraine and the fate of Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, one of the 10 biggest in the world. Trump noted that the monthslong U.S.-led negotiations could still collapse.
Putin has sought to portray himself as negotiating from a position of strength as Ukrainian forces strain to keep back the bigger Russian army.
In this image made from video provided by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, A Russia's Oreshnik missile system is seen during a training in an undisclosed location in Belarus. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service)
At a meeting with senior military officers Monday, Putin emphasized the need to create military buffer zones along the Russian border. He also claimed that Russian troops were advancing in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine and pressing their offensive in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.
Moscow first used the Oreshnik, which is Russian for “hazelnut tree,” against Ukraine in November 2024, when it fired the experimental weapon at a factory in Dnipro that built missiles when Ukraine was part of the .