Minsk: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced on Thursday that the Russian Oreshnik missile system has been deployed in Belarus and is now on combat alert. The announcement was made during his address to the nation at the 7th All-Belarusian People's Assembly in Minsk, which was broadcast live by state news agency Belta.

According to Anadolu Agency, Lukashenko's remarks come over a month after he initially stated that the missile system would be on combat alert by December. The deployment is intended to signal that Minsk is prepared to respond if necessary. Lukashenko had previously revealed during Belarus' Independence Day celebrations in July that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed on the system's deployment by the end of the year.

The Oreshnik missile system was first utilized in November 2024 when Russia claimed it targeted a plant in Dnipro, Ukraine, following Kyiv's use of long-range Western-supplied weapons on Russian soil. In September, Belarus reported that Russian and Belarusian forces practiced planning for the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons and the deployment of Oreshnik during the Zapad-2025 joint exercises.

In addition to the missile deployment, Lukashenko discussed Belarus' relationship with the United States, describing it as a "constructive" yet "very difficult" dialogue. He mentioned ongoing discussions towards a potential agreement with US President Donald Trump, including the lifting of sanctions.

Lukashenko suggested that Trump might be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2026 and disclosed that talks are underway regarding the reopening of the US Embassy in Belarus. However, security arrangements for the embassy remain unresolved, with Lukashenko preferring Belarusian Interior Minister Ivan Kubrakov to provide security instead of US Marines.

In his address, Lukashenko also identified the European Union as one of four global "poles of power," alongside the US, Russia, and China, but expressed skepticism about the EU's stability due to internal challenges.