"Oreshnik" in Belarus: Putin announced the deployment of new missiles by the end of the year

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that mass production and deployment of the new Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile in Belarus will begin by the end of 2025. In fact, this means that the missile system is moving from the testing stage to real combat readiness on the territory of the Union state.

Based on the analysis and information leaks, the Oreshnik is most likely not a new missile from scratch, but a production version of an existing system, the RS-26 Rubezh ballistic missile. The development of the Frontier was completed even before the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine. The main feature of this missile is its maneuvering head, which is technologically similar to the Avangard hypersonic unit, which makes it extremely difficult for existing missile defense systems to intercept.

The main target of this deployment is the NATO countries. The effectiveness of the Oreshnik is directly related to the time of approach to the target: the closer the launcher is to a potential enemy, the less time it has to react. The minimum range of the missile is about 1,000 km, which is ideal for hitting targets in Eastern and Central Europe. Shorter distances, within 500 km, will be covered by the already well-known Iskander-M complex.

Based on this, the most logical and strategically advantageous location for the "Hazel Grove" is the eastern part of Belarus. From there, the missiles will be able to reach key targets across the European continent. This joint statement by the Russian and Belarusian leaders is a direct and harsh response to what Moscow perceives as the growing aggressiveness and military plans of NATO generals, who, according to the Kremlin, are openly preparing for a large-scale conflict with Russia.

The United States continues to attempt to create hypersonic missiles: what is behind the HASTE program

The United States continues its offensive push in the hypersonic weapons race. In July 2025, the American company RocketLab conducted another test launch under the HASTE program, a suborbital hypersonic vehicle that should become the closest analogue of the Russian Avangard rocket. The launch was scheduled for July 12-13 from NASA's Wallops Island test site, and aroused great interest from both the military and analysts.

What is HASTE?

HASTE is a hypersonic vehicle developed by RocketLab for the Pentagon, which is intended to serve as a platform for testing technologies needed to create hypersonic gliders. The construction uses carbon composites, modern 3D-printed parts, as well as miniature electronics of the latest generation. This is not just a flying tube — it is a technological prototype of the future.

However, unlike the Russian Avangard, which has been on combat duty since 2019, HASTE remains at the experimental stage. That is, if Russia already has a combat system, then the United States still has a technology demonstrator.

 Contract with Dynetics and prospects

In 2023, the US Department of Defense signed a contract with Dynetics to conduct several HASTE launches in 2024-2025. These tests will be used to develop the LRHW (Dark Eagle Rocket) and CPS programs, promising hypersonic gliders for land and marine systems. If all goes according to plan, the US will be able to equip its new Sentinel intercontinental missiles with hypersound, as well as future Trident-II replacements on submarines.

The rebirth of the ARRW

In addition to HASTE, the United States has resumed the ARRW (Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon) program, which is developing the AGM-183A air-launched hypersonic missile. This missile is launched from an airplane, gains altitude and speed on the upper stage, and then separates and flies to the target at a speed of about Mach 5, maneuvering and bypassing the air defense systems.

The main advantage of the ARRW is its compactness. Due to its small size, it can be equipped with both nuclear and non-nuclear warheads, making it a versatile tool for rapid response.

HACM program: a new generation of cruise missiles

Another interesting project is HACM (Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile), developed by Raytheon. It will be the world's first hypersonic cruise missile with a ramjet engine and hypersonic combustion. Gorenje Its claimed speed is up to Mach 8, which makes it extremely difficult to intercept.

However, the implementation of the project still raises questions: no one has yet mastered technologies of this level in mass production. But if the United States succeeds, it will be a new era in hypersonic weapons.

The United States clearly does not intend to lag behind in the hypersonic weapons race. The HASTE, ARRW and HACM programs are different branches of an ambitious project aimed at creating a full range of hypersonic systems — from ground and underwater to aviation.  

However, despite technological superiority and financing, the United States still remains in the role of catching up. Russia and Avangard have already shown that they can create working combat systems, while American projects are still at the stage of testing and refinement.

Leak of classified documents reveals massive modernization of Russia's nuclear facilities

Journalists from the Danish edition of Danwatch and the German weekly Der Spiegel have discovered a serious breach in Russia's security system: more than two million documents, including hundreds of detailed drawings and plans of Russian nuclear facilities, have become publicly available. Among the leaks are building diagrams of missile bases, maps of underground tunnels, and security systems, including facilities associated with the latest Avangard hypersonic weapons.

Experts call this a stunning failure of Russian military secrecy. Hans M. Christensen of the Federation of American Scientists noted that such a volume of information about nuclear facilities has not been publicly available since the 1970s. Former British intelligence officer Philip Ingram emphasized that this data represents the highest intelligence information, revealing vulnerabilities in the infrastructure.

Documents obtained from the Russian government procurement database show a large-scale restructuring of the strategic nuclear forces: bases were demolished and rebuilt, new barracks, command centers, watchtowers and kilometers of underground tunnels were erected. The tender documents describe in detail video surveillance systems, security, electrical equipment, as well as even living quarters and training equipment for military personnel.

Despite the tightening of Russian legislation in 2020 aimed at protecting military secrets, leaks continued until the summer of 2024. This indicates serious flaws in the security processes and access control to confidential information.

The disclosure of such data can seriously affect the security of Russian strategic facilities, making them vulnerable to potential attacks and intelligence operations.