Weeks after Łukašenka’s no-complications assessment, defense minister warns of probable “armed provocations” from Ukraine

August 16, Pozirk. Belarus “has been at the center” of global geostrategic interests and is “fully prepared” to counter any threats, Alaksandar Łukašenka has told his security officials.
His upbeat conclusion followed an alarmist report from Defense Minister Viktar Chrenin who warned about the danger of armed provocations against Belarus from Ukraine.
“The situation in the southern operational direction remains tense,” the defense ministry’s press office quoted Chrenin as saying.
The defense minister’s remarks stood in sharp contrast with optimistic assessments made by the Belarusian ruler three weeks before Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk province.
“Now we have no complications with the Ukrainians, and I hope there will be none,” he said during a visit to the 56th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment in the Brest region on July 13. Łukašenka even ordered his troops to return from the Belarusian-Ukrainian border to their permanent bases.
Meanwhile, today Chrenin pointed out that Kyiv continues to beef up security, deploying special operations units near the Belarusian border and conducting reconnaissance with drones. He noted attempts to violate Belarusian airspace.
Armed Ukrainian units may be plotting provocations together with Belarusian volunteers fighting against Russia, the general warned.
On August 10, amid the Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s Kursk province, Łukašenka accused Kyiv of violating the Belarusian airspace with drones and sent back his troops to the Belarusian-Ukrainian border.
Ukraine has not reported any tension at its shared border with Belarus.
Łukašenka casts Belarus as victim amid Ukrainian Kursk push
- Economy, SecurityBelarusian, Cuban officials in Minsk discuss military-technical tiesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Society
- EconomyCentral bank head expecting inflation to slow in MarchThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- SocietyDeath toll from fires rising sharply in Belarus this yearThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyPoland’s court sentences several people to prison for allegedly trafficking migrants from BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyŁukašenka orders fast-track construction of river bridge in southern BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsArrests, censorship, passport annulments among rights abuses reported on April 1-3The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyYouTube said to have deleted Belarusian state media accountsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security, SocietyIrregular border crossings from Belarus hit 105-day highThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsPhotographer Andrej Lankievič arrested at Polish-Belarusian borderThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBelarus adds three organizations, 20 dissidents to lists of extremistsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Security, SocietyOfficials deny reports of nighttime explosions in MahiloŭThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Politics
- Politics
- Politics, SocietyŁukašenka says Belarus has “enough people” to staff health systemThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsKGB adds five Kalinoŭski regiment fighters, six others to list of terroristsThe material is available only to POZIRK+



