According to Lukashenka, he spoke on the phone with Putin at 5 a.m. Already at 9, he was giving instructions to the military. He said “nothing happened,” but at the same time was counting the military contingent on the Belarusian-Ukrainian borders. There are five battalion-tactical groups and special operations forces along the entire perimeter in the east of the country, which is the Homiel region. According to Lukashenka, they are preparing for provocations from Ukraine.
Lukashenka said so because he was no longer in control of the situation, says political analyst Valery Karbalevich.
“It’s not that Lukashenka is not asked permission to use Belarusian territory, he is not even informed. As he said, “Well, I found out from the media that the Russian military might be using the Belarusian territory.” That is, the head of the country does not even control the situation,” says political analyst Valery Karbalevich.
Officially from the Ukrainian Border Guard Service: Russia attacked, including from the territory of Belarus, breaching the border.
“We see perfectly well what is being published: according to official reports from our general staff, attacks were repelled in the Chernihiv region. Now comes the repulsion of a helicopter attack,” says Ukrainian political analyst Andriy Rudyk.
In the first half of the day, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, reported shelling from Belarus.
“Four ballistic missiles were fired from the territory of the Republic of Belarus in the southwestern direction,” Lieutenant General Valery Zaluzhny, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, wrote on Facebook.
This is how the situation developed throughout the day. The Senkovo border outpost – better known to Belarusians as the Three Sisters. The TOS-1A “Solntsepek” flamethrower system, at least four T-25V tanks, MT-LB tractors, and Ural trucks enter the territory of Ukraine from the side of Belarus.
Homiel region, the city of Mozyr, nine MI helicopters fly in the direction of the Ukrainian border.
Homiel region, highway Brahin-Khoiniki. Blocked for helicopter take-offs.
Again, the Brahin region. A convoy of military equipment moving in the direction of “Pripyat”.
And directly the city of Homiel. Fifty vehicles, including medical assistance. All have Russian license plates. There are Russian soldiers at the central city station.
“If we consider a ground operation, indeed, the Belarusian territory will be involved, and indeed then there will be a large part of the military in the Homiel region. It will be a combat zone, it will be a frontline zone,” says Valery Karbalevich.
Even though Lukashenka says that the Belarusian army was not involved in hostilities, we decided to ask our viewers: are they being called for mobilization? Five percent answered in the affirmative, more than 70% said no, and the rest had heard something about it.
Belarusians are queuing up at the exchange offices and evacuating from the border villages of the Homiel region. In Lelchitsy they are buying up gasoline at gas stations, according to our sources.
“We need to keep calm. It’s better, of course, to keep it when you have an emergency suitcase packed when you know where your documents are. They should be in a waterproof bag, cash should be in there, necessary medications should be in there, just in case you might be out of options at first, to get them. And my advice is to make sure that your information hygiene is in order,” gives advice Andrey Stryzhak, founder of the Bysol Solidarity Foundation.
The Bysol team has been working hard since the morning – so many requests for evacuation. Not only from Belarus, but also from Ukraine.
“We try to focus only on Belarusians because there are other organizations that help Ukrainians. We do not take responsibility to save everyone, but if possible and if there is such a need, of course, we try to help those people we can help,” says Andrey Stryzhak.
It has recently emerged that Mozyr city hospital accepts the wounded of the Russian Armed Forces.
Nadzeya Belskaya
