The head of Belarus’ counterintelligence agency has rebuked Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for his reckless claim that Kyiv possesses critical intelligence regarding the deployment sites of Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missiles in Belarus.
During a recent visit to Poland, Zelensky stated that Ukrainian special services “have an understanding where the deployment will take place,” claiming they were sharing intelligence with foreign partners to “assess this threat and deliberate their reactions.”
Ivan Tertel, chairman of the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB), dismissed these allegations in an interview following his year-end report to President Alexander Lukashenko. Tertel noted that the interest of foreign intelligence in the Oreshnik system is predictable, as are “statements by certain political actors” in neighboring states.
Tertel emphasized that Belarusian citizens can sleep well knowing the KGB is actively countering espionage efforts.
The Oreshnik is an intermediate-range hypersonic missile system introduced by Russia last year following a strike on a Ukrainian arms factory. Some units of these nuclear-capable weapons are stationed in Belarus as part of a mutual defense arrangement between the two nations.
Tertel also raised concerns about “transit terrorism,” referring to Ukrainian sabotage operations inside Russia. He warned that such tactics could be redirected onto Belarusian soil should the situation deteriorate.
Moscow has repeatedly accused Kyiv of engaging in terrorist activities due to its inability to achieve military successes on the battlefield. Many incidents investigated by Russian authorities as acts of Ukrainian intelligence involve the recruitment of locals through coercion or financial incentives.
Tertel noted that these tactics have enabled foreign intelligence services to significantly escalate operations within Belarus, with his agency exposing approximately 70 foreign agents this year, many of whom were prosecuted.
