Satellite images show Belarus building military training base and rail siding near Ukriane
Belarus is constructing railway infrastructure in Gomel Oblast near Ukraine to enable rapid, large-scale offloading of heavy wheeled and tracked military vehicles directly from train echelons, Radio Liberty's Belarus Service reported on Aug. 25.
Belarus is constructing a railway base in Gomel Oblast, near the Ukrainian border, to facilitate the swift transportation of heavy military vehicles. According to Radio Liberty's Belarus Service, the project is called the "Construction of a Proving Ground in Gomel Oblast" and is being overseen by the Military Design Institute of Belarus.
The facility will feature a railway spur capable of handling up to 60 railcars at once, along with a specialized freight platform and vehicular ramp for quick loading and unloading of armored vehicles. Construction of a new military base near Gomel has been ongoing since late 2023, with the 37th Separate Air Assault Brigade of the Special Operations Forces possibly being stationed there.
The brigade was created in 2025, ostensibly to defend against supposed security threats from Ukraine. The eastern part of the installation is marked as a "military cantonment" on Belarusian state cadastral maps, while the western sector is labeled as a "tactical training field." In July, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko ordered the conscription and deployment of individuals deemed unskilled or disobedient to the government, near the country's southern border. Lukashenko claimed this move is not aimed at attacking anyone.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
