Zapad-2025: Belarus to train with Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile on NATO’s fringe
August 15, 2025
As Trump and Putin meet in Alaska, Russia is preparing to deliver its new Oreshnik IRBM missile to Belarus during the upcoming Zapad-2025 exercises. Russia calls the multiple-warhead, nuclear-capable Oreshnik a “hypersonic” missile, and while that may be technically true, the same is technically true of almost all ballistic missiles.
Russia’s upcoming Zapad-2025 exercises
As the high-stakes summit between President Trump and Vladimir Putin is to kick off in Alaska, Russia is preparing for its Zapad-2025 exercise. Once again, Russian ‘hypersonic’ missiles are making it into the headlines. This comes as Russia has announced it is fitting ‘hypersonic’ missiles to its new Su-57 fighter jet.
Zapad 2025 is a scheduled Russian and Belarusian military exercise which will take place in Belarus between 12 and 16 September, and is the first Zapad exercise since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. As Russian forces remain deeply committed and bogged down in Ukraine, the exercise will be scaled down.
In 2021, Russia claimed to have deployed around 200,000 personnel in Zapad-2021. This year, Belarus suggests the number of participating personnel will number around 13,000, substantially fewer than last time.
Belarus has long walked a fine line, balancing the interests of its ruler, President Lukashenko (in power since 1994), to maintain power in the country. Russia is credited with helping Lukashenko survive the massive protests in 2020 following what CNN called “stage-managed elections.”
Russia and Belarus will hold joint military drills in Belarus from September 12–16, featuring training with nuclear weapons and Russia’s new intermediate-range Oreshnik hypersonic missile.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 13, 2025
Video: Archive pic.twitter.com/Dt6O0lzJLG
Belarus also seeks to avoid Russian intervention in the country, like what happened to Ukraine in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2014, and 2022. The first date saw Russia interfere with Ukrainian elections, with tensions later leading to a gas war in 2006 and 2008. Tensions later led to the annexation of Crimea and a hybrid invasion in 2014 and the full-scale invasion of 2022.
Zapad-2025 and Russia’s new Oreshnik missile
Belarus remains compliant with Russia and is one of the few countries still purchasing Russian fighter jets. In December 2024, the Associated Press reported that Belarus was hosting “dozens” of nuclear missiles.
Belarusian officials say Zapad-2025 will include training related to nuclear weapons as well as practice with Russia’s Oreshnik missile. The nuclear-capable missile is expected to be delivered to Belarus in late 2025.
🇧🇾 Lukashenko:
— S p r i n t e r (@SprinterObserve) August 8, 2025
"The first positions for "Oreshnik", which will appear in Belarus by the end of the year, are already being set". pic.twitter.com/SfCOwnoyWK
Belarus is already known to host Iskander short-range ballistic missiles, but it has been building the facilities needed to operate the Oreshnik missile.
Over-hyped hypersonic missiles
“Hypersonic” has become a buzzword in the internet space, much like “drone swarm” was before the Ukraine war. Russia now claims to have multiple hypersonic missiles in service, including the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (NATO ‘Killjoy’), 3M22 Zircon, and Oreshnik missile.
Hypersonic is generally defined as speeds in excess of Mach 5. To be a true hypersonic missile, that missile needs to maintain hypersonic speeds during terminal descent and maintain a high level of manoeuvrability during flight. None of these missiles meets these criteria.
Practically all ballistic missiles achieve hypersonic speeds at certain stages of their flight, including the original German V-2 Rocket. The US Air Force says the Minuteman III missile even achieves Mach 23 at burnout.
The Kinzhal is based on a 1980s Soviet design and is essentially a modified air-launched Iskandar ballistic missile. According to the US Army speaking at the Fires Symposium, its terminal velocity is Mach 3 and has repeatedly been intercepted by US-supplied Patriot SAMs in Ukraine. Ukraine also claims to have intercepted rare Zircon missiles used by Russia.
Russia first used its new multi-warhead (MIRV) Oreshnik in November 2024 against targets in Ukraine. Little damage was observed in satellite imagery, leading some to suggest the warheads were inert. Oreshnik is an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) based on an older Russian missile called the RS-26 Rubezh.
Donkeys used by Russian forces for logistics.https://t.co/sgdHDg39Ra pic.twitter.com/3qpQ1VRO59
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) April 11, 2025
As Russia continues to claim to have everything from hypersonic missiles to advanced fifth-generation fighter jets, its air force remains unable to establish air superiority, instead having air parity with Ukrainian forces. On the ground, some forward-deployed and bogged-down Russian units are being resupplied by donkeys and mules.
