Russia Deploys Nuclear-Capable Oreshnik Missiles in Belarus, Heightening European Security Fears

• Russia announced deployment of nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles in Belarus, an ally bordering NATO members Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.
• President Putin claims the Oreshnik missiles are "impossible to intercept," reportedly traveling over ten times the speed of sound.
• Analysts warn the deployment could enable quicker strikes on European targets, with the 5,500 km range potentially reaching anywhere in Europe or the US west coast.
• Western experts view this as Russia's increasing reliance on nuclear threats to deter NATO from supplying weapons to Ukraine.
• The deployment follows Putin's intensified nuclear threats since November 2024 and Russia's lowering of its nuclear use threshold.

Why It Matters: Russia's Oreshnik missile deployment in Belarus escalates nuclear tensions and threatens European security.