Russia is looking for new soldiers in Belarus: why did Lukashenko allow the recruitment of citizens
Belarus is actively recruiting citizens to the ranks of the Russian army. A website has been launched in the country, where men aged 18 to 58 are offered to sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Russian recruiters are behind the resource, and it is supervised by the Belarusian special services.
The first official recruitment resource in the national domain zone called “Defender” has been launched in Belarus. It is focused on recruiting citizens of the country to participate in Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service confirmed that the launch of this platform is fully controlled by Belarusian special services, in particular the Operational and Analytical Center, the department responsible for protecting state secrets. The project is being led by the Russian recruitment agency “Bratsky Syndicate”, which promises Belarusians a one-time payment of $28,000 and a monthly cash allowance of over $3,000.
Recruiters promise money for the shooting of civilians and positions, additional payments for “daily wages in the offensive”, “kilometers of advancement” and destroyed Ukrainian equipment. Although according to the Criminal Code of Belarus, mercenary activity and participation in armed conflicts abroad is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, in practice the Belarusian law enforcement system “does not notice” compatriots in the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces, punishing only those who fought as part of private military companies. As of 2026, almost 2,900 Belarusian citizens have already passed through the Russian army, of whom at least 440 have died.
In Belarus itself, military service has already been turned into a disciplinary tool. The authorities have sent half a thousand agricultural workers to a 60-day military training camp as punishment for unscrupulous work during the harvest. They are being trained to shoot down drones, drive armored personnel carriers, shoot, and overcome psychological obstacles.
The Belarusian Defense Ministry stated that the training camp would be held in the southern regions of the country, and instructors would pay special attention to skills to protect against UAVs. The idea of sending combine harvesters, drivers, and other agricultural workers to military training camp for failures during the harvest was put forward by Alexander Lukashenko.
The call-up of Belarusian farmers to military training camp is legal nonsense, analysts are convinced. Such steps solve exclusively propaganda tasks, but harm the country’s economy. In the Belarusian law “On Military Duty and Military Service” there is no such reason for conscription as “unfair labor”. Thus, the transformation of the army into a punitive body directly violates the constitutional rights of citizens.
This is an element of maintaining an atmosphere of fear and control in Belarusian society. Showing that anything can be done to people, constantly talking about external threats and mobilizing not only the military, but also civilian society, Lukashenko is trying to maintain control over all spheres of life. And thereby demonstrate, in particular to his closest entourage, that the situation is supposedly under control.
Moscow is increasingly drawing Minsk into the war. Russia has already equipped about 10 new secret bases near the borders with Ukraine and Belarus, where it has placed at least 59 new launchers for long-range and jet drones. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War believe that the Russian military command plans to intensify not only attacks on Ukraine, but also provocations against NATO countries. The Kremlin is creating a long-term threat to European security, turning the border areas into a springboard for a protracted air war.