Russian military presence in Belarus

The Russian military's presence in Belarus has increased greatly in size from its original deployments since the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Following his victory in the 1994 Belarusian presidential election, Alexander Lukashenko began the process of militarily integrating Belarus and Russia as part of the Union State initiative, leading to a series of 1995 military agreements which provided two military bases to the Russian Armed Forces and gave them a role in guarding the Belarusian border.

Belarus and Russia both partake in the Zapad exercises, and Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to intervene in the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests if he saw fit.

[3] On 6 January 1995, the governments of Belarus and Russia signed a series of agreements which provided for the leasing of military installations in Vileyka and Baranavichy to the Russian Armed Forces for a 25-year period (renewed in 2021).

These comments were condemned by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who called on Russia to allow for free elections in Belarus.

Belarusian foreign policy expert Vlad Kobets and former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor David J. Kramer have expressed the viewpoint that the Russian government supplied weapons and ammunition to Belarusian security forces knowing that they would be used against protesters.

[11] Further documents, published in 2022 by the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence and allegedly obtained from the Russian military, have detailed plans for the invasion of Belarus in case the protests were to succeed.

[15] Following a 2022 constitutional referendum, the Belarusian and Russian militaries have pursued policies of stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.