“We know coordinates”: Zelenskyy reveals "Oreshnik" deployment in Belarus

Russia is finalizing the deployment of its new "Oreshnik" ballistic missiles to Belarus. Ukraine knows their exact locations and has already shared the information with Western allies.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this during a joint press conference with Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Friday, December 19.

“We know where it will be”

The president says that Kyiv has full information on the enemy’s plans and shares it with partners so they can assess the real level of threat.

“The deployment of "Oreshnik" in Belarus is being completed. We know the locations, where it will be placed. We are passing this information to our partners. I believe they can evaluate the threat themselves and understand how to respond,” Zelenskyy added.

He also reminded that Ukraine had previously warned Europe and the U.S. about these Kremlin plans and had shown maps illustrating the new weapon’s strike range.

“This poses a threat to many European countries, including Poland, Germany, and others,” the president stressed.

Sanctions issue and “leaky” bans

Zelenskyy spoke candidly about the challenges in countering this weapon. According to him, it is impossible to shoot down an “Oreshnik” with regular drones, so the key method of defense is economic pressure on its production.

However, sanctions, the president noted, are not yet working as intended.

“We asked our partners to impose sanctions on companies that sell components through third countries, which are used in the "Oreshnik." Without these components, Russia simply cannot develop this missile. At present, I do not see these sanctions being implemented,” the head of state said.

At the same time, he added an important point: despite Moscow’s loud declarations, its defense industry is still unable to mass-produce these missiles.

“Thank God, much of it they are still unable to produce… But nevertheless, they are doing it,” Zelenskyy said.

"Why aren’t you pressuring Russia?"

The president also addressed Western leaders, who are actively seeking diplomatic ways to end the war. He drew a parallel to the start of the full-scale invasion, when missiles were launched at Kyiv from the Belarusian direction.

"If our partners are putting so much diplomatic effort into ending the war, can they also pressure Russia not to position its missiles closer to Europe, near the Polish border? I believe this needs to be addressed," Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded.