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Lukashenko Says Belarus Is Preparing for War, Plans to “Mobilize Units”
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Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said Belarus will “selectively mobilize” military units and prepare them for possible combat operations following a large-scale inspection of the country’s armed forces.
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According to the Belarusian state agency BelTA on May 12, Lukashenko made the statement during a meeting with Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin, where officials discussed the results of recent military readiness checks, personnel changes in the armed forces, and Belarus’ future defense planning.
“We will selectively mobilize units in order to prepare them for war. God willing, it can be avoided,” Lukashenko said.
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The remarks come amid a broader military modernization effort in Belarus and growing emphasis on combat readiness, electronic warfare systems, drones, and mobilization capacity.
More than 6,000 reservists and personnel took part in recent inspections and exercises conducted by the Belarusian Defense Ministry and General Staff. Belarusian authorities said the drills were used to assess troop readiness, logistics, and mobilization procedures.
A day earlier, Lukashenko chaired a separate meeting on Belarus’ state armament program for 2026–2030, where officials discussed future military procurement and defense spending.
During that meeting, Lukashenko stated that Belarus must prepare weapons and military systems adapted to its own terrain and operational conditions, while also emphasizing the role of electronic warfare and unmanned aerial systems in modern warfare.
He also argued that airstrikes alone are insufficient to win wars, saying that “without a ground operation, it is impossible,” while discussing contemporary military conflicts.
Belarus has remained Russia’s closest military ally throughout Moscow’s full-scale war against Ukraine, allowing Russian forces to use Belarusian territory for military operations, training, and deployments. However, Belarusian troops have not officially entered combat in Ukraine.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had recorded “specific activity” on the Belarusian side of the northern border, including infrastructure work and the construction of artillery positions near Ukraine. He stated that Ukrainian forces were “monitoring everything” and would respond if necessary.
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