Belarusian president Lukashenko says war is right at doorstep

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has warned that war is very close to his country and called for all aspects of the current military-political situation to be taken into account.

Speaking at a meeting on the draft plan for the development of the Armed Forces for 2026–2030, he said the regional situation remains tense, pointing to “various provocations” and violations of agreements, Caliber.Az reports, citing Belarusian media.

“I have warned more than once, you know this better than I do in certain directions, that war today is not just somewhere far away. For us, I say, it is right at our fence, and sometimes even closer,” he noted.

Lukashenko outlined key priorities for adjusting the military development plans, including strengthening air defence, countering unmanned aerial vehicles, and training officers.

“Improving the effectiveness of air defence (without any complications), countering unmanned aerial vehicles, training officers — these are among the main directions,” the president added.

The head of state emphasised the need for balanced and carefully considered decisions.

“We cannot make mistakes. We do not have extra money. We cannot convert all the Armed Forces to drones. And it is not necessary in our conditions. But this is my opinion. Maybe you have discussed it and decided that we should do like the rest of the world, which is going crazy today: ‘drones, drones!’ It is a dangerous thing. We need to learn how to fight these drones,” he said.

According to him, Belarus needs strong weapons against drones, from small arms to electronic warfare systems.

“We can do this; we did something similar in Soviet times, we are doing it now. But our defence industry needs to step up,” Lukashenko explained.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov