In a bombshell speech that sent shockwaves through NATO capitals, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that the terrifying new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic missile system will enter full combat duty before the end of 2025. This nuclear-capable beast, already battle-tested in Ukraine, is described by Putin as delivering destruction comparable to a nuclear strike – even in conventional mode. And the latest twist? Belarus has just deployed it on their soil, putting European cities within minutes of unstoppable doom.
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Russia's leader dropped the hammer during his annual address to the Defense Ministry, boasting massive military gains and slamming Western "irresponsibility" for escalating the Ukraine conflict. Putin highlighted the Oreshnik alongside game-changing weapons like the unlimited-range nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater drone – systems he says guarantee Russia's dominance for decades.
"We already have them," Putin thundered, vowing to refine these doomsday tools further. The Oreshnik made its deadly debut in November 2024, obliterating a Ukrainian arms factory in what Moscow called a flawless "combat test." Capable of carrying multiple independently targetable warheads, its hypersonic speed (Mach 10+) makes it utterly uninterceptable – a nightmare for Western air defenses.
Putin warned that those pushing escalation bear full blame for lost peace chances, insisting Russia always sought diplomacy until forced otherwise. He directed the military to incorporate Ukraine battlefield lessons into new weapons development while prioritizing soldier welfare.
Breaking Update: Just hours after Putin's speech, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced that Russia has already deployed the Oreshnik system to Belarus, where it entered combat duty as of December 17-18, 2025 – putting NATO borders on high alert. Source: AP News
This rapid deployment underscores Russia's resolve: the Oreshnik isn't just talk – it's operational now, ready to strike with devastating precision. As Putin modernizes the army at breakneck speed, the balance of power shifts dramatically. Is the West ready for what's coming?
RT reports: Russia’s newly developed medium-range Oreshnik missile system will enter combat before the end of the year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday during a keynote speech to the Defense Ministry.
The Russian leader was reporting military achievements over the year and outlined policy goals, including military research. He named Oreshnik alongside other weapons meant to “ensure the strategic parity, security and global positions of Russia for decades to come.”
The other systems he mentioned are the unlimited-range cruise missile Burevestnik and the underwater Poseidon drone, both powered by miniaturized nuclear reactors, which he said reached development milestones this year.
”We will keep working on those systems. Tune them and improve them, but we already have them,” Putin stressed.
Moscow revealed the Oreshnik system with a strike on a weapons plant in Ukraine in November 2024, which it described as a successful “combat test.” The missile is understood to carry multiple nuclear-capable individually targetable warheads.
Putin previously compared the conventional variant used in the Ukraine attack to a low-yield nuclear weapon in terms of destructive power. Russia has since announced plans to deploy some Oreshnik systems in Belarus, its key military ally.
During the meeting, Putin outlined progress in modernizing the Russian army, directed the military to study the experience of the Ukraine conflict in developing new weapons, addressed the issues of medical rehabilitation and the provision of social services to soldiers, and warned Western leaders seeking to escalate tensions that their position is “irresponsible.”
Russia “has been seeking diplomatic resolutions to contradictions and conflicts as long as there is the slimmest hope of success. Those who convinced themselves that Russia can be spoken to in the language of force are fully responsible for those missed opportunities,” Putin stressed.