Belarus-Ukraine Conflict: War Declared?

Belarus has not declared war on Ukraine, but it has supported Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. Belarus has allowed Russia to use its territory to stage part of the invasion and to launch missiles into Ukraine. Belarus has also allowed Russian troops to remain in the country after they were supposed to finish military drills.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has said that his country will not send soldiers into Ukraine unless attacked first. However, there have been several reports of Belarusian troops in Ukraine, and Lukashenko has announced the formation of a joint military grouping with Russia.

Belarus has allowed Russia to use its territory to stage the invasion

In the months leading up to the invasion, Belarus allowed the Russian Armed Forces to perform weeks-long military drills on its territory. However, the Russian troops did not exit the country after they were supposed to finish. Belarus's proximity to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, is considered to be of major strategic value. It shares a 1,084 km (674 mi)-long border with Ukraine and offered Russia the shortest possible land route to Kyiv.

In February 2022, Russia and Belarus held joint military drills near the Ukrainian border. Following this, Belarus changed its status from being a neutral and non-nuclear country. It allowed Russia's forces to use its military airbases, fire missiles from its territory, and use its rail and road links.

In March 2022, the US imposed sanctions on Belarus for its involvement in the Russian invasion. The European Union also issued sanctions, banning certain categories of Belarusian items in the EU.

Belarus has allowed Russia to launch missiles into Ukraine

In the initial stages of the war, Belarus lent its territory to Russian soldiers to attack Ukraine, but did not appear to send its own soldiers into the conflict. However, there have been reports of Belarusian troops fighting alongside Russians in Ukraine.

In addition to allowing Russia to launch missiles from its territory, Belarus has also permitted Russian troops to perform military drills and station missile launchers on its land. Russia has also been allowed full access to Belarusian military airbases and army installations to launch aircraft and shoot artillery towards Ukraine.

The involvement of Belarus in the conflict has been condemned by Western countries, with the EU, US, UK, Canada, and Japan imposing sanctions.

Belarus has served as a logistical platform for Russia

Russia has also been able to launch missile strikes on Ukraine from Belarusian territory. In the early days of the invasion, Belarus allowed Russian missile launchers to be stationed on its territory and shoot at Ukrainian targets. There were also reports of Belarusian troops in Ukraine fighting alongside Russians, although the Belarusian leader, Aleksander Lukashenko, denied these claims. Lukashenko also stated that there would be "no way" he would send soldiers into Ukraine unless attacked first.

In addition to providing a strategic location for the invasion, Belarus has also offered other logistical support to Russia. Belarus has a longstanding defence manufacturing industry, and its trucks are renowned for their durability in challenging terrain, making them a sensible option for military engagement. Russia has utilised trucks manufactured by the Minsk Automobile Plant, such as the Belarusian MAZ-5316, which are equipped with an anti-drone "barbecue" system.

The close relationship between Belarus and Russia extends beyond the context of the invasion of Ukraine. Belarus and Russia share a land border and constitute the supranational Union State. They are also members of various international organisations, including the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and the United Nations. Russia is Belarus's largest and most important economic and political partner, and the two countries have close military relations, engaging in various joint military-scientific activities.

Belarus has allowed Russian troops to remain in the country after military drills

In the initial stages of the conflict, Belarus allowed Russia to use its territory to launch part of the invasion of Ukraine, giving Russia the shortest possible land route to Kyiv. Belarus also allowed Russia to station missile launchers on its territory to shoot at Ukrainian targets.

In March 2022, the Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communication reported that missiles had been launched from Belarus towards the southwest of Ukraine. In the same month, satellite images showed 150 helicopters and hundreds of ground vehicles stationed near Khoyniki, 50km from the Ukrainian border.

In October 2022, Lukashenko ordered Belarusian troops to join Russian troops near Ukraine, stating that Ukraine posed a clear threat to Belarus.

Belarus has allowed Russian soldiers wounded in Ukraine to be treated in its hospitals

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. Instead, Belarus allowed Russia to use its territory to stage part of the invasion, giving Russia the shortest possible land route to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Russian troops did not exit Belarus after joint military drills, as was initially planned.

Russian soldiers wounded in Ukraine were treated by Belarusian and Russian doctors at hospitals in Homiel and other cities in the Homiel region. Doctors were forced to sign non-disclosure agreements and were told not to speak about the wounded soldiers. In March 2022, the treatment of these soldiers led to the exhaustion of all blood reserves in Homiel, and doctors had to start using reserves meant for the civilian population.

X-rays of wounded Russian soldiers were smuggled out of Belarus by a doctor named Andrei, who fled the country soon after. Andrei's X-rays revealed that many of the injured soldiers were young and inexperienced conscripts from remote parts of Russia. They suffered injuries to the face, gaping wounds, compound fractures from explosions, and gunshot wounds.

The hospitals where Russian soldiers were treated were kept under strict surveillance, and the Belarusian government has cracked down on anyone filming Russian military vehicles. However, some footage has been captured and shared by activist groups and local media.

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