Belarus to build military camp, firing range near Ukraine

February 12, BPN. The Belarusian authorities plan to build a military camp and a firing range in the southern Homiel region, which borders Ukraine.

According to an edict on an investment program for 2023, published on the National Legal Internet Portal on February 11, 500,000 rubels (some $200,000) will be allocated from the national budget in 2023 for design and survey works, while in 2024 and 2025, 10 million and 40 million, respectively

For similar work involving construction of the firing range, this year Belarus plans to allocate 500,000 rubels, and in the following two years – 10 million and 20 million rubels.

Construction is to start in 2023 and be completed in 2027.

On May 26, Alaksandr Łukašenka ordered officials to create the Southern Operational Command. “This is a wartime circumstance but without a war so far,” he said.

Russia has repeatedly struck Ukraine from Belarusian territory, where it has a growing military presence. It used Belarus as a launchpad for its February 2022 offensive on Kyiv. At the same time, Belarus says its troops are not directly involved in hostilities in Ukraine.