Legalise porn, fund 30,000 drones: Inside Ukraine’s unusual war plan

Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Oleh Ivashchenko, disclosed that Russia has deployed a missile brigade equipped with Oreshnik missiles in Belarus. This revelation came in an interview with Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform, published on September 7. Ivashchenko's remarks come over half a year after President Volodymyr Zelensky had expressed concern over Belarus hosting Russia's Oreshnik missile system, stating that Russia had completed preparatory work.

The Oreshnik missile, a modified version of the Rubezh surface-to-surface missile, is designed with high speed, making it extremely difficult to intercept. It is capable of carrying nuclear warheads, although the missiles previously launched at Ukraine did not carry such payloads. Russian President Vladimir Putin maintains that the Oreshnik is an unstoppable missile, although this claim is met with skepticism from military experts.

The damage caused by the three known attacks involving Oreshnik missiles against Ukraine has been minimal. Russia first used this missile system against Ukraine in November 2024, targeting the city of Dnipro. Subsequent deployments occurred during Russia's large-scale attack on western Ukraine, including the city of Lviv, and most recently, in May on Bila Tserkva, located about 50 miles south of Kyiv.

Ivashchenko also highlighted Ukraine's apprehension regarding Belarus granting Russia permission to deploy radio signal repeaters on its territory. These repeaters aid in adjusting Russian Shahed drone strikes on Ukrainian civilian and critical infrastructure. Ivashchenko noted that if Belarus refuses to grant such permission, it would imply that Minsk no longer has control over Russia's activities within its territory.

While Russia appears to be leveraging Belarus' resources for its military campaign against Ukraine, Ivashchenko stated that Kyiv currently does not perceive any signs of Minsk preparing to engage in Russia's war against Ukraine. The threat from Belarus, situated north of Ukraine, is assessed by Ivashchenko as being low. Belarus, governed by authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko since 1994, remains one of Moscow's closest allies, providing political and military support since the outset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.