Belarus Modernizes Missile Arsenal. Ukraine Reports Oriesznik Systems

The Belarusian armed forces are conducting intensive modernization work at missile bases, which, according to Ukrainian and Western intelligence sources, is linked to the deployment of new Russian missile systems. Reports indicate the presence of components of the 9M730 Oriesznik system, capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads over a distance of several hundred kilometers. These activities are concentrated in key locations, including the areas of Mazyr and Brest, where the expansion of storage and logistical infrastructure is being observed. Since the mass protests following the rigged presidential elections in 2020 and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Belarus under the rule of Alyaksandr Lukashenka has tightened its military and political integration with the Russian Federation. Belarusian territory has been used as a staging ground for Russian missile and ground attacks on Ukraine. In response, NATO has consistently strengthened its military presence in eastern member states, including Poland and the Baltic countries. Ukrainian intelligence services have confirmed information about the presence of Oriesznik systems on Belarusian territory, emphasizing their potential threat. The movements of the Belarusian army are being closely monitored by Poland's allies within NATO, for whom the strengthening of Belarus's offensive potential constitutes another element of instability on the eastern flank. Belarus, being a strategic partner and de facto vassal of Russia, plays a key role in the aggressor's war logistics, and the modernization of its own missile arsenal increases the range of potential threat to its neighbors. The strengthening of Minsk's missile capabilities occurs in the context of the protracted war in Ukraine and the general militarization of the region, where Russia seeks to exert pressure on Central and Eastern European countries. „Ukrainian intelligence sources confirm that Belarusian armed forces are actively preparing to receive and potentially employ new-generation missile systems, posing a direct threat to regional security.” — Unspecified Ukrainian intelligence source The West's reaction to these reports will likely involve increased intelligence vigilance and possible adjustments to the North Atlantic Alliance's defense plans, although no specific new military steps have been announced yet in response to these particular movements.