Putin raises stakes in peace talks with boast of Oreshnik missiles in Belarus

Russia boasted it had deployed nuclear-capable missiles inside Belarus on Tuesday as Vladimir Putin sought to escalate tensions over Ukraine – just as peace talks appeared to be gaining momentum.

The intermediate-range Oreshnik missiles can reach speeds of up to Mach 10 and are immune to interceptions, according to Putin; Russia’s missile forces chief, Sergei Karakayev, previously claimed the weapons “can strike targets across the entire territory of Europe”.

Tensions between the countries have soared after Russia accused Ukraine of attacking Putin’s personal residence with 91 drones.

Volodymyr Zelensky called the claims a “complete fabrication” intended to undermine the latest US-brokered negotiations.

Russia threatened retribution in response to the alleged attack, with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov calling the action “state terrorism”, adding: “Such reckless actions will not go unanswered.”

But Russia has failed to provide evidence of the attack and is under increasing pressure to do so.

“I don’t think there should be any evidence if such a massive drone attack is being carried out, which, thanks to the well-coordinated work of the air defence system, was shot down,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

The Kremlin dodged inquiries by saying that the investigation into the wreckage was in the hands of the Ministry of Defence.

Germany echoed Ukraine’s concern that the Russian claims could be used as a pretext for further escalation.

Donald Trump expressed support for Putin amid the allegations, saying he had been left “very angry” by the alleged attack.

He had expressed optimism earlier in the week, suggesting that discussions with Mr Zelensky on Sunday had been “positive” and “terrific”, with “a lot of progress” made.

Mr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine was committed to continuing talks on how to end the war, adding that he was ready to meet Putin in any format.

Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk told a government meeting: “Peace is on the horizon, there is no doubt that things have happened that give grounds for hope that this war can end, and quite quickly, but it is still a hope, far from 100 per cent certain.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was also part of the latest discussions, tempered his enthusiasm and called for a straightforward approach from all sides. “Now we need transparency and honesty from everyone – including Russia,” he wrote on X on Tuesday.

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