Belarus Begins Territorial Defense Training Near Ukrainian Border

On Wednesday, Jan. 8, Belarus began training territorial defense forces in the Gomel region near the Ukrainian border, according to the Belarusian Ministry of Defense.

Gomel became the first region in Belarus where territorial defense exercises will take place in 2025. This area borders the Chernihiv region of Ukraine.

“From Jan. 8 to 31, training will be conducted under the leadership of the head of the Gomel district executive committee with conscripted territorial defense troops,” the Ministry stated.

The training will involve: receiving conscripted territorial defense troops and providing comprehensive support; restoring the skills of command personnel in managing subordinate units; and preparing conscripted troops to perform tasks, including joint operations with the engineering units of the Belarusian Armed Forces.

Recently, the monitoring project “Belaruski Hayun” reported that Belarus had started increasing its military presence near the Ukrainian border, including the relocation of additional troops.

At the same time, the Center for Counteracting Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council refuted the information about the threat of an invasion by Belarusian regular forces.

“As of now, there is no threat of Belarusian regular forces invading. Information from certain public sources about the build-up of Belarusian troops on the other side of the border does not indicate the creation of strike groups or preparations for offensive actions,” said the center’s head, Andriy Kovalenko.

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According to him, Ukraine’s Defense Forces fully control the situation at the border.

In April 2024, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Belarus is actively preparing for war though it isn’t seeking any conflict. However, he also said Belarus is the “most peace-loving nation“ in September 2023 and said a war in the country was “impossible.”

At the same time, Lukashenko also called for peace talks with Ukraine – under Moscow-friendly terms – on multiple occasions: once in October 2023, another in August 2024 after Ukraine’s first Kursk incursion, among other occasions.

Lukashenko has been in office since 1994 and remains one of the longest-serving heads of state in Europe, whose political repressions and crackdown on democratic protests have earned him the moniker “the last dictator in Europe.”

Belarus is set to hold its upcoming presidential elections on Jan. 26.