Lukashenko launched a massive inspection of bomb shelters after Putin’s demand to enter the war
Since the beginning of the year, Belarus has intensified efforts to inventory, repair, and modernize bomb shelters. It believes these inspections are taking place “in a specific military-political context.” Inspections of civil defense structures in February-April resulted in the issuance of 66 orders to correct violations. Eleven officials were held administratively liable, and notices were issued for 20 facilities due to inadequate maintenance. Since the beginning of 2026, 43 bomb shelters have been restored.
The inspections and modernization of protective structures are taking place amid ongoing mobilization activities and military exercises. In June, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense conducted exercises in the Grodno Region, which borders Poland and Lithuania. The exercises included practicing the mobilization of citizens and vehicles, and verifying the registration data of several thousand military personnel. Since the beginning of 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin has increased pressure on Alexander Lukashenko. Putin is seeking Minsk’s active participation in the war against Ukraine, as Moscow wants to use Belarusian territory for drone strikes against Ukraine and open a new front. If Minsk refuses, the Kremlin threatens to cut financial support.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have previously expressed concerns about Belarus’s possible involvement in the war. Macron spoke with Lukashenko by phone in May and warned him of the consequences of Belarus’s possible participation in the war. Zelenskyі also stated that Kyiv has information about Moscow-Minsk negotiations regarding the potential expansion of military cooperation. He later demanded the dismantling of Russian repeater stations in Belarus, which are used to guide drone strikes.