In Belarus, citizens are being openly recruited into the Russian military to fight in the war against Ukraine
A recruitment website has appeared in Belarus within the country’s national domain zone, through which citizens are being offered contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense to fight against Ukraine.
According to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, potential contract soldiers are promised a one-time payment of $28,000 and a monthly stipend of over $3,100. Additional payments are also provided for participation in offensive operations, advancing on enemy lines, and destroying Ukrainian military equipment.
According to the SSU, the Russian recruitment agency “Bratsky Syndicate” is behind the scheme. At the same time, Belarusian law provides for up to 10 years in prison for mercenary activities and participation in armed conflicts abroad.
According to Ukrainian intelligence estimates, as of 2026, nearly 2,900 Belarusians have already served in the Russian army, and at least 440 of them have been killed. At the same time, Belarusian law enforcement agencies are effectively not prosecuting citizens who are fighting on the side of Russia.
At the same time, Belarus is stepping up military training for schoolchildren. Specifically, 10th-graders will be taught to operate drones, and girls will be trained in tactical medicine. The program also includes 10-day field training sessions at security forces’ bases.
Source: Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.
Belarus has begun forming a new 37th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade, which will be stationed near Gomel—approximately 40 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. Alexander Ilyukevich, commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Belarusian Armed Forces, announced this on a Belarusian military television channel.
As a reminder, Lukashenko stated that Belarusian servicemen would not take part in the war against Ukraine.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that one should not be naive about Belarus’s role in Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to him, Minsk is under Moscow’s strong influence, and most of the Belarusian government’s decisions are effectively dictated by the Kremlin.
