Belarusian Minister says country prepares to ‘defend motherland,’ gives out weapons

Emergency Situations Minister Vadim Sinyavsky told state-controlled media that the ministry had already received the weapons and placed them in the armory. “We understand that there may be a situation in which you have to act quickly, including civil defense,” he said. 

Sinyavsky also said that there are more than 5,000 shelters in Belarus, Russia's ally in the war against Ukraine, where people can hide from rocket attacks.

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko supported Russia's missile attacks against Ukraine on Oct. 10, adding that his country began the process of creating a joint regional military command with Moscow.