The lukashenko Regime Selling Its Citizens to the russian Army

8/21/2026

The lukashenko regime has finally dropped its “peacemaker” facade by integrating belarus into the rf’s military machine. The country has not only provided its territory for the aggression against Ukraine but is also actively militarizing its own society and openly facilitating the replenishment of the russian army’s ranks with cannon fodder holding belarusian passports.

Proof of minsk’s involvement in the war came with the launch of the first recruitment website in the national domain zone. The website openly calls on belarusian citizens to sign contracts with the ministry of defense of the rf to participate in the “special military operation” against Ukraine. It should be noted that registration in the national top-level domain is controlled by the operational-analytical center under the president of belarus – a special service responsible for protecting state secrets.

Behind the project is the russian recruitment agency “bratsky sindikat” (“fraternal syndicate”- Transl.), which promises belarusians a one-time payment of $28,000 and a monthly payment of over $3,100. Recruiters promise money for shooting civilians and attacking positions, as well as bonuses for “daily allowances during an offensive”, “kilometers advanced”, and Ukrainian military equipment destroyed. Although under the criminal code of the rb, mercenary activity and participation in armed conflicts abroad are punishable by up to 10 years in prison, in reality, the belarusian justice system “turns a blind eye” to compatriots serving in the ranks of the armed forces of the rf, punishing only those who fought as part of private military companies (PMCs). As of 2026, nearly 2,900 belarusian citizens have served in the russian army, of whom at least 440 have been killed.

In parallel with trafficking its own citizens, the belarusian regime is preparing future generations for war. The ministry of education of the rb has announced sweeping changes to the school curriculum for “pre-conscription training” for the 2026–2027 school year. Now, tenth-formers are being systematically taught how to wage modern warfare: boys will be required to take a course in drone operation, while girls will learn practical skills in tactical medicine.

The educational process is being permanently moved out of classrooms to the training bases of the ministry of internal affairs, the state border committee, and the ministry of defense of belarus, where students undergo a 10-day field training camp. The stated goal of the ministry of education is to “move away from theory toward concrete skills in real-world conditions” and to scale up the experience of law enforcement agencies nationwide. Against the background of active integration with russia’s defense industry, this means only one thing: belarusian schools are being turned into the first link in a conveyor belt for training personnel for future armed conflicts.