Help rescue animals from the front line — shop our Companion Collection 🐾

Shop Now
Uncategorized

Lukashenko denies that Belarus prepares to join Russia's war in Ukraine

• 1 min read

"We are not going anywhere. No war for now. We don't need it," said Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, cited by state-controlled media Belta.

Lukashenko also dismissed the reports by independent Belarusian media regarding covert mobilization in the country, claiming that the authorities are "simply checking the lists," which is done "every year."

At the same time, Lukashenko said that Belarus was preparing for possible attacks on its territories and that he "has been getting ready for war for at least 25 years."

On Oct. 14, Belarus declared a counter-terrorist operation regime and, according to independent Belarusian publication Nasha Niva, started conducting small-scale covert mobilization to "man up the existing combat units."

Belarus also transported at least 67 T-72 tanks and 28 Ural military trucks from its Mahilou region to Russia, watchdog Belarusian Hajun reported on Oct. 14.

On Oct. 10,  Lukashenko announced that his country had begun creating a joint regional military command with Moscow, adding that about 70,000 Belarusian soldiers would join the force. Belarus doesn't have that many soldiers.

Avatar
The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

Read more
News Feed

The EU has demanded a reform of Ukraine's notoriously corrupt and politicized prosecution service and called for making the procedure for picking the prosecutor general less political and more merit-based. Meanwhile, anti-corruption activists and pro-reform lawmakers have accused the Ukrainian authorities of sabotaging rule of law reforms and resisting the demand for depoliticizing the Prosecutor General's Office.

Show More