'The time has come' — Belarus's Lukashenko inspects troops, says army 'needs shaking up'
The dictator also said his youngest son, Nikolai, was currently serving in the armed forces.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced on September 11 that his armed forces are undergoing a thorough inspection to ensure readiness, BelTA reported. He stated, "The whole army," including mobilization units, will be checked. Lukashenko emphasized that the country is preparing for potential conflict, stating, "We are preparing for war so that there won't be one."
The current inspections focus on an artillery brigade and communications units, following previous checks of tank and motor rifle units. Lukashenko claimed these tests would be conducted in a manner reminiscent of actual battles, drawing lessons from Russia's recent full-scale invasion. He also revealed that his youngest son, Nikolai Lukashenko, serves as a lieutenant in the army, though the specific unit remains undisclosed.
Belarus is simultaneously constructing new railway infrastructure in the southern Gomel region to accommodate military trains carrying personnel and heavy equipment, as reported by the Belarusian Railway Workers Community on August 24. This development coincides with an increased presence of military infrastructure along the Belarus-Ukraine border, prompting Kyiv to warn that Russia might be preparing to bring its closest ally further into the ongoing war.
Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the D.C.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, noted that the threat of a reopened northern front aims to strain Ukrainian forces, potentially diverting units from their frontline positions. Over 50,000 personnel of Russia's 101st Missile Brigade, equipped with the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile system, are stationed in Belarus, according to Ukraine's military intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko in a Sept.
7 interview. This deployment coincides with President Volodymyr Zelensky's warnings, stating that Belarus had already "fully or partially" hosted Russia's Oreshnik missile system, describing it as a significant escalation risk.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
