Belarus has begun forming an airborne assault brigade on the border with Ukraine
2 August 21:15
Alexander Ilyukevich, commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Belarusian Armed Forces, stated on a Belarusian Ministry of Defense television channel that Minsk has begun forming a new airborne assault brigade near the border with Ukraine. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Russian propaganda media.
“We have already begun forming military units; one battalion has been formed. This year, we are forming another battalion, as well as combat support, artillery, anti-aircraft, and reconnaissance units,” he said.
Ilyukevich reported that the new brigade’s officer corps has already been staffed, and the troops have been drafted. The unit will be stationed in the Gomel region, located near the Ukrainian border.
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In late June, Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Sekret said that in the event of an attempted invasion by Ukrainian troops, Belarus would deploy its entire military capability.
“If the border is crossed without permission or in an aggressive manner, we will respond using our full potential and all available means. And our Ukrainian neighbors know this,” he said.
Shortly before that, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had drawn attention to the construction of Belarusian military infrastructure along the Ukrainian border, including new roads, ammunition depots, and fuel and lubricant storage facilities.
Zelenskyy noted that Kyiv had already sent the relevant signals to Minsk. He also stated that the development of border infrastructure capable of being used for aggression must be halted, and that initiatives toward de-escalation must come specifically from the Belarusian side.
In late July, the Belarusian authorities unexpectedly announced that there were no signs of a threat at the border. Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin, following a briefing to Alexander Lukashenko, reported that the military and political situation around the country remains stable, and that the main tension is observed only in the information sphere.
“As we monitor the activities of NATO’s armed forces, we do not see significant activity. In neighboring countries, there is a minimal number of exercises—just one—and a minimal number of flights. That is why we believe that the situation around Belarus is stable, and we do not see any threat, tension, or preparations for a surprise attack,” he said.
At the same time, Khrenin specifically emphasized that the Belarusian side sees no evidence of preparations for aggressive actions on the part of Ukrainian units.
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