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Belarus ready to put into service 2 Oreshnik launchers by end of year — Lukashenko

According to the president, it has not yet been decided where in Belarus to deploy the systems

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko Sofya Sandurskaya/TASS

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko

© Sofya Sandurskaya/TASS

MOSCOW, March 14. /TASS/. Belarus is ready to put into service two launchers of the latest Russian medium-range ballistic missile system Oreshnik by the end of this year, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview for the "60 Minutes" program on Rossiya-1 television.

"I am now supervising the production of these launchers. We are ready to put two launchers into service by the end of the year, I think," he said.

According to the president, it has not yet been decided where in Belarus to deploy the systems.

"Should we put these modern missiles close to our enemies? Or shall we put them somewhere closer Moscow? Or someplace else? The place? We must clearly determine where and make a deal," Lukashenko said.

He said he will discuss the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I think today and tomorrow we will discuss these issues with Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin]. There is no need to rush. There's no need to put Oreshnik somewhere near Orsha as soon as tomorrow," Lukashenko said. "We will deploy it if need be. This is a serious weapon. You can't make it in a garage in six months or one month," the president said.

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