Radio Svoboda said it had identified Roman Ostroushko as the Russian commander of an “Oreshnik” missile unit in Belarus, according to its December 31 report.
In its investigation, Radio Svoboda said video released on December 30 by the Belarusian and Russian defense ministries showed no Belarusian servicemen at the formation, and that the event was run from a dais by an unnamed Russian lieutenant colonel described as a deputy commander of a Russian military unit.
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Radio Svoboda said the officer was Roman Ostroushko, whom it linked to a Strategic Rocket Forces missile battalion in the 54th Guards Rocket Division based in Teykovo, Russia.
Radio Svoboda said that the link matters because the Teykovo unit operates RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile systems and has been described in Russian state media as part of Russia’s “nuclear shield,” adding that the personnel shown in Belarus appear to be from Russia’s strategic missile forces rather than Belarusian units.
Earlier, it was reported that Russia began deploying its nuclear‑capable intermediate‑range ballistic missile system “Oreshnik” into eastern Belarus at the former Krichev‑6 airfield, based on independent satellite imagery and OSINT analysis that identified construction activity and launch-site preparations.
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