Russia has already begun, or is likely in the process of, deploying new nuclear-capable intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missiles—known to the Russian Armed Forces as Oreshnik—at a former airbase near Krichev in eastern Belarus. Two U.S. researchers reached the conclusion after analyzing satellite imagery, a finding that broadly aligns with U.S. intelligence assessments shared with Reuters. The deployment could significantly enhance Russia’s ability to rapidly strike targets across Europe in the event of a conventional or nuclear conflict with NATO.

In response, the Pentagon has accelerated plans to deploy U.S. cruise and hypersonic surface-to-surface missiles in Germany, including the Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), also known as Dark Eagle. The system, which uses a hypersonic boost-glide vehicle, is expected to be stationed in Germany beginning in 2026.