(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin vetoed a plan to strike Kiev with Russia’s new Oreshnik hypersonic missiles, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko revealed on Friday.

The Oreshnik, a medium-range hypersonic missile capable of speeds up to Mach 10, can carry nuclear or conventional warheads and deploy multiple guided projectiles. Analysts say it is difficult to intercept. Lukashenko said that unnamed Russian figures suggested targeting Kiev’s “decision-making centers,” but Putin responded, “Absolutely not,” noting that such a strike would have obliterated the city.

Putin has previously stated that the West is attempting to provoke Russia into using nuclear weapons in Ukraine but emphasized there is no need for them.

The Oreshnik was first used in combat in November 2024, striking Ukraine’s Yuzhmash defense facility in Dnepr. Russian officials have likened its conventional strike power to that of a low-yield nuclear weapon.

Lukashenko highlighted Moscow’s commitment to a peaceful resolution, recalling that Putin avoided targeting civilian areas in Kiev in early 2022 and eventually withdrew forces as a goodwill gesture, which Kiev declined, reportedly under UK encouragement to continue the fight.

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