Belarus launches military exercises near Ukrainian border

Military exercises involving territorial defense forces, reservists, and military personnel have commenced in Belarus's Gomel region, which borders Ukraine's Chernihiv Oblast. The drills are scheduled to run from 8 January to 31 January 2025, according to the Belarusian Ministry of Defense. The training exercises, led by the head of the Gomel District Executive Committee, will focus on personnel management skills and the integration of territorial defense forces using local mobilization deployment facilities. It is reported that special attention will be given to joint operations between conscripts and Belarusian engineering units. According to monitoring project "Belaruski Hajun," Gomel district is the first region in Belarus to conduct territorial defense exercises in 2025. Throughout 2024, similar exercises were held in 15 regions across Belarus, involving approximately 1,568 reservists. The Ukrainian State Border Guard Service spokesperson, Colonel Andriy Demchenko, stated that while they are monitoring the situation, no strike formations have been observed near the Ukrainian border.

"We continuously monitor activities within Belarus to assess potential threats to Ukraine," Demchenko said.

The border service noted that Belarus regularly conducts various military exercises while claiming Ukraine poses a threat to its security. Ukrainian officials pointed out that Belarus had allowed its territory to be used as a launching point for Russia's February 2022 invasion. These exercises follow several military drills conducted by Belarus in recent months, including September exercises near the Polish and Lithuanian borders, and joint training with Russian forces involving non-strategic nuclear weapons in June.