Russia–Ukraine War and NATO Security

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Dec. 30, 2025 that its new nuclear‑capable Oreshnik intermediate‑range ballistic missile system has entered active service in Belarus, as U.S.-brokered peace talks over the war in Ukraine reach a pivotal stage. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said up to 10 systems will be based in his country, with Belarus’s Defense Ministry and Russian state media claiming the missiles can reach targets up to 5,000 kilometers away — including a Polish air base in about 11 minutes and NATO headquarters in Brussels in 17 minutes — and can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads that are indistinguishable to defenders in flight.