Lukashenko reviewed plan on Orekhnik

At 08:00 on December 24, the President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, held a meeting of the Military-Strategic Council, during which he heard a report from Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin on the state of the armed forces. The report covered issues concerning the deployment of the 'Oreshnik' missile system within the country and putting it on combat duty, as well as the development of further military and military-technical cooperation with the Russian Federation.

The rocket engineering sector was highlighted as a promising area, in which Belarus is actively developing its own capabilities. The Ministry of Defense reported recent launches of the modernized domestic Polonez-M multiple rocket launcher system with increased range and improved firing accuracy. According to the president, plans for further improvement of the Polonez system were discussed during the second session of the Seventh All-Belarusian People's Assembly. The report also addressed personnel matters—proposals for appointments within the armed forces.

A key point in the report was the experience of modernizing the Buk air defense missile system: the Ministry of Defense presented plans for delivering upgraded systems to the armed forces.

Context

"Oreshnik" is a rocket missile system supplied by Russia to Belarus in 2021; "Polonez" and "Buk" are domestic air defense and ground missile systems being modernized within the framework of military cooperation with the Russian Federation.