Russia deploys Oreshnik missile brigade to Belarus near Ukraine border

Ukraine's military intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko reported on September 7, 2026, that units of Russia's 101st Missile Brigade, equipped with the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile system, have deployed to Belarus. While this deployment and the construction of a new training ground near the border increase pressure, Ukrainian intelligence assesses the direct military threat from Belarus as low. Kyiv is also concerned by Belarus hosting Russian drone signal repeaters, suggesting Minsk may be losing control over Russian activities on its territory.

Oreshnik missile brigade in Belarus

• ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated prior to September 2026 that Belarus fully or partially hosted Russia's Oreshnik missile system after preparatory and technical work was completed.
• ▪Units of Russia's 101st Missile Brigade, equipped with the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile system, are deployed in Belarus, according to Ukraine's military intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko on September 7, 2026.

Russian military infrastructure in Belarus

• ▪Belarus has permitted the deployment of Russian radio signal repeaters on its territory to help guide Russian Shahed-type attack drones toward Ukrainian civilian and critical infrastructure.
• ▪Ukrainian intelligence is monitoring the construction of a new military training ground in the Gomel region of Belarus near the Ukrainian border, designed with railway infrastructure for rapid unloading of heavy military equipment.

Oreshnik missile capabilities

• ▪The Russian Oreshnik missile's high speed makes it exceptionally difficult to intercept, posing a significant challenge to Ukrainian air defenses.
• ▪Russian President Vladimir Putin claims the Oreshnik missile is unstoppable, though military experts dispute this claim.
• ▪The Russian Oreshnik is an intermediate-range ballistic missile believed to be a modified version of the Rubezh surface-to-surface missile, designed to carry nuclear warheads.

Prior Oreshnik attacks on Ukraine

• ▪Russia launched a third known attack involving an Oreshnik missile in May 2026 on Bila Tserkva, a town located about 80 kilometers south of Kyiv.
• ▪Russia first used an Oreshnik missile against Ukraine in November 2024 to strike Dnipro, followed by a second deployment in a large-scale attack on western Ukraine, including Lviv.
• ▪The damage from the three known Russian attacks utilizing the Oreshnik missile system has been minimal, and the missiles launched did not carry nuclear warheads.

Ukrainian intelligence on Belarus threat

• ▪Ukraine's military intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko assessed on September 7, 2026, that the direct military threat from Belarus remains low, with no signs that Minsk is preparing to enter the war.
• ▪Ukraine's military intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko stated on September 7, 2026, that if Belarus did not authorize the deployment of Russian radio repeaters, it indicates Minsk has lost control over Russian activities on its territory.

Belarus-Russia military cooperation

• ▪Belarus, ruled by Alexander Lukashenko since 1994, is one of Moscow's closest allies and has provided political and military support to Russia since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
• ▪Ukraine is working with international partners to prevent the operation of the Russian mobile ground missile system Oreshnik deployed in Belarus.

Debatable claims

• ▪Minsk has lost control over Russian military activities on Belarusian territory
• ▪Ukraine and its allies should neutralize Russian missiles deployed in Belarus

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