Belarus-Ukraine Conflict: Did Belarus Attack?

Belarus has been a close ally of Russia and has supported its eastern neighbour in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Before the start of the offensive, Belarus allowed the Russian Armed Forces to perform military drills on its territory. It also allowed Russia to stage part of the invasion from its territory, giving Russia the shortest possible land route to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Belarus has also allowed Russian missile launchers to be stationed on its territory and shoot at Ukrainian targets.

Belarus allowed Russia to launch attacks on Ukraine from its territory

Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has supported its eastern neighbour in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Before the start of the offensive, Belarus allowed the Russian Armed Forces to perform weeks-long military drills on its territory. However, the Russian troops did not leave Belarus as scheduled. Belarus allowed Russia to launch attacks on Ukraine from its territory, giving Russia the shortest possible land route to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

Belarus has also allowed Russian missile launchers to be stationed on its territory and shoot at Ukrainian targets. Several reports emerged from the Belarusian opposition and Ukrainian military that Belarusian troops were in Ukraine fighting alongside Russians. However, Belarus's leader, Aleksander Lukashenko, denied these claims and said that the Belarusian Armed Forces (BAF) would not participate directly in the conflict. As of early 2023, the BAF has not been involved in fighting against Ukraine and has remained on Belarusian territory during the entire conflict. Lukashenko has stated that he would only send soldiers into Ukraine if Belarus was attacked first.

According to the Ukrainian foreign ministry, Lukashenko assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the start of the invasion that he would not involve his nation's armed forces on Russia's side. Ukraine has offered to formalise this arrangement with a non-aggression pact.

The involvement of Belarus was condemned in Western countries, with the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan imposing sanctions against Belarus. According to Chatham House, Belarus's participation in the military conflict is unpopular among the general population; protests were held on 27 February 2022, the day of the constitutional referendum which revoked Belarus's non-nuclear country status.

In the initial stages of the conflict, Belarus lent its territory to Russian soldiers to attack Ukraine, but did not appear to have sent its own soldiers into the conflict. On the day of the invasion, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported that Russian troops were trying to break through the Belarus-Ukraine border at the Vilcha border crossing. CNN published a video showing tanks entering Ukraine through the Senkivka border crossing, on the tripoint with Russia. Also on that day, Chernobyl, together with the nearby former nuclear power plant, was seized after Russian troops entered Ukraine from Belarus via the unpopulated Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Russian military aircraft launched aircraft from Belarusian military airbases and shot artillery and missiles from Belarusian territory towards Ukraine. On 24 February 2022, the Ukrainian commander-in-chief reported that four ballistic missiles were launched from Belarus towards southwestern Ukraine. On 8 March, satellite images showed three missile launchers in southeastern Belarus and new planes and helicopters at a Belarusian airbase.

Belarus has supported Russia in the invasion of Ukraine

Additionally, Belarus has permitted Russian missile launchers to be stationed on its soil, firing at Ukrainian targets. There have also been reports, denied by Belarus, that Belarusian troops have fought alongside Russians in Ukraine.

In the early days of the conflict, Belarus was involved in peace initiatives, holding Russo-Ukrainian talks on its border, although these did not result in a lasting ceasefire.

Belarus has also provided Russia with military hardware, munitions, and components, and has participated in psychological and informational operations preceding new phases of the war.

In October 2023, Belarus revoked its neutral and non-nuclear status, and in March 2023, Russia announced it would station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Belarus has faced condemnation and sanctions from Western countries for its involvement in the conflict, and its participation is unpopular among the Belarusian general population, with protests held against the war.

Belarus has allowed Russian troops to conduct military exercises on its territory

The timing and position of these exercises raised concerns in Ukraine, the US, and NATO countries. Analysts pointed to Belarus as a possible route for Russian troops to invade Ukraine, particularly as a way to outflank Ukrainian defenses around Kyiv. In response to the drills, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the buildup of troops along the borders was "psychological pressure from our neighbors."

Indeed, before the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, Belarus allowed the Russian Armed Forces to perform weeks-long military drills on its territory. However, the Russian troops did not exit Belarus as scheduled and used the country as a staging ground for part of the invasion, providing Russia with the shortest possible land route to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Belarus also allowed Russia full access to its military airbases and installations to launch attacks on Ukraine.

In October 2024, Belarus announced the transfer of an Iskander missile, Polonez MLRS, and special forces to areas bordering Ukraine, citing Ukrainian attack drones shot down over its airspace. This was followed by the deployment of tanks and additional forces, including air defense and aircraft, to reinforce its troop grouping along the border.

While Belarus has denied sending its own troops to fight in Ukraine, there have been reports of Belarusian soldiers among the wounded and killed Russian forces. Additionally, Belarus has allowed Russian missile launchers to be stationed on its territory to shoot at Ukrainian targets. The involvement of Belarus in the Russian invasion has been condemned internationally and has led to sanctions against the country.

Belarus has allowed Russian missile launchers to be stationed on its territory

In the early days of the invasion, Belarus was also involved in peace initiatives, holding Russo-Ukrainian talks on its border. Despite some preliminary agreements, the talks did not result in a lasting ceasefire.

In the initial stages of the conflict, Belarus lent its territory to Russian soldiers to attack Ukraine, but there is no evidence that it has sent its own soldiers into the conflict. On the day of the invasion, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported that Russian troops were trying to break through the Belarus-Ukraine border.

In February 2022, the Russian Federation embarked on a full-scale invasion of Ukraine that included attacks launched from Belarusian territory. This led to a severe deterioration in Ukraine-Belarus relations in economic, political, and security domains.

The involvement of Belarus in the Russian invasion has been condemned in Western countries, with the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan imposing sanctions. According to Chatham House, Belarus's participation in the military conflict is unpopular among the general population. Protests were held on February 27, 2022, the day of the constitutional referendum that revoked Belarus's non-nuclear country status. These protests were quickly dispersed.

In October 2024, Belarus announced the transfer of an Iskander missile, Polonez MLRS, and special forces to areas bordering Ukraine. This announcement came after statements by President Alexander Lukashenko about Ukrainian attack drones shot down over Belarusian airspace.

The presence of Russian missile launchers on Belarusian territory has important strategic implications. Belarus shares a 1,084-kilometer (674-mile) border with Ukraine, and its proximity to Kyiv is considered to be of significant strategic value. The presence of missile launchers in Belarus allows Russian aircraft and missiles to reach potential targets in Ukraine more easily and quickly. It also extends Russia's capability to target several NATO allies in Eastern and Central Europe.

Belarus has called for peace between Russia and Ukraine

Lukashenko's appeal, which was broadcast on Belarusian state media, is set to be featured on Russian state-owned channel Rossia 1. Referring to the two-and-a-half-year conflict, Lukashenko said:

> "Let's sit down at the negotiating table and end this scuffle. Neither the Ukrainian people, nor the Russians, nor the Belarusians need it. It's them in the West, who need [the war]. I cannot reveal these facts, they are absolutely classified. But sometimes they speak openly — high-ranking people. Saying, let them beat each other — Ukrainians, Russians — let everyone die in this cauldron."

Despite Lukashenko's call for peace, Belarus has supported Russia in the invasion of Ukraine. Before the start of the offensive, Belarus allowed the Russian Armed Forces to perform military drills on its territory, and Russia was able to stage part of the invasion from Belarus, providing the shortest possible land route to Kyiv. Belarus has also allowed Russian missile launchers to be stationed on its territory and permitted Russian aircraft to launch from its military airbases.

In the early days of the invasion, Belarus was involved in peace initiatives, holding Russo-Ukrainian talks on its border. However, these talks did not result in a lasting ceasefire.

While Lukashenko has stated that he will not involve Belarusian armed forces on the side of Russia, he has positioned himself as a key backer of Putin and has sent troops to reinforce the southern border with Ukraine.

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