Support The Moscow Times!

Belarus Says Its Army Not Taking Part in Ukraine Invasion

Belarus's leader Alexander Lukashenko. president.gov.by

Belarus's leader Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday that his military is not taking part in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as Kyiv said Moscow's troops were entering the country from Belarusian territory. 

"Our armed forces are not taking part in this operation," said Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow has stationed tens of thousands of troops in Belarus.

Ukraine's border guards said Thursday their country was coming under artillery attack along its northern border with Russia and Belarus.

Minsk said Putin called Lukashenko in the early hours of Thursday "at around 5:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) to inform him that Moscow was launching a military operation on Ukraine. 

After meeting his army chiefs, Lukashenko said Putin had informed him about the "development" of the situation in the call. 

He said the Russian leader told him the "aim" of the operation was to "stop the genocide of the people in the Donetsk and Lugansk republics."  

He also said he had "personally suggested" to Putin for "a number of the Russian armed forces" to stay in the south of the country despite joint military drills coming to an end.

Putin launched the offensive in the early hours of Thursday, after a surprise televised address. 

Russia has tens of thousands of soldiers stationed in Belarus, where it has held military drills.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more