Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced on September 11 that the country's armed forces are undergoing a comprehensive inspection to assess their readiness, stating that the army needs to be "shaken up" and that the time has come for this action. He indicated that the entire army would be checked, potentially including mobilization.
Currently, artillery and communications units are being inspected, following earlier checks of tank and motor rifle units. Lukashenko described the preparations as being "for war so that there won't be one," and that these drills should resemble actual battles, drawing lessons from Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He also mentioned that his youngest son, Nikolai Lukashenko, is serving as a lieutenant in the army, though his specific unit was not disclosed.
This announcement comes amid heightened military activity and infrastructure development along Belarus' border with Ukraine. The Belarusian Railway Workers' Community reported on August 24 the construction of new railway infrastructure in the southern Gomel region, designed to accommodate military trains carrying personnel and heavy equipment. This development, coupled with the presence of Russian military assets, has led Kyiv to warn of a potential reopening of a northern front to divert Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine's military intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko stated in an interview published on September 7 that units of Russia's 101st Missile Brigade, armed with Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missiles, are deployed in Belarus. This deployment was previously described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a significant escalation risk.
