Belarus has deployed tanks near its border with NATO, as tensions between Russia and the strategic alliance continue to simmer amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine.
According to a report published by The Kyiv Post on Thursday, the Belarusian military has mobilized reservists and initiated significant military maneuvers. Troops and equipment, including tanks from Belarus’ 19th Guards Mechanized Brigade, were reportedly deployed near the country’s western border with Lithuania, a member of NATO.
According to the Community of Railway Workers of Belarus, a collective that opposes the policies of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a train carrying military equipment and personnel arrived in Oshmyany on Wednesday night. Oshmyany is situated less than 15 miles away from the border with Lithuania.
According to the group, a train carrying Belarusian troops arrived at Oshmyany station. The train consisted of four passenger cars filled with troops and 42 cars loaded with equipment, which included nine T-72B tanks. The Belarusian Ministry of Defense later confirmed the deployment of T-72B tanks and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, as reported by the Belarusian Hajun news project.
The Belarusian Defense Ministry announced on social media that a military training exercise is currently underway in the Oshmyany region until April 5. Moreover, there are reports of additional exercises occurring in various other regions of Belarus, including areas close to the border with Poland, which is also a member country of NATO.
According to a translation from The Kyiv Post, the Belarusian army announced that personnel will be required to relocate to designated areas and participate in a range of exercises and training, which will include live fire. The statement further mentioned that the inspection will involve the movement of military equipment, and there may be temporary restrictions on the movement of civilian transport on public roads and areas.
In a recent statement, Lukashenko, a ruler known for his autocratic ways and facing multiple international accusations of human rights abuses and election rigging, made a startling claim. He accused Poland of colluding with the United States in a plot to orchestrate a major provocation, which would then be falsely attributed to Russia and Belarus. Lukashenko went as far as drawing a parallel between these NATO allies and Adolf Hitler at the onset of World War II.
Earlier this year, Belarus made an announcement that it had embraced a new military doctrine, which permits the utilization of nuclear weapons. This decision came after the country received a delivery of tactical nuclear weapons from Russia in late 2023.
NATO is currently engaged in its largest military exercise in Europe in decades. Operation Steadfast Defender, which will run until May, involves over 90,000 troops from all 32 member states of the alliance. Russia has alleged that the exercise is actually a practice run for a planned NATO attack on its own territory.