Belarusian exile group: Russia building military communications network across Belarus toward NATO borders
Belarusian exile group BELPOL and the conspiratorial Society of Railway Workers of Belarus presented a 48-page report at a security forum in Warsaw alleging that Russia is constructing a protected military communications network across Belarus. The system, built on mobile carrier MTS towers, runs east–west from the Russian border to the borders of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine, and is subordinated to Russian military needs with its command center in Russia.
Key points
- BELPOL and the Society of Railway Workers of Belarus presented the 48-page report 'Militarization of Belarus' at a security forum in Warsaw.
- The report draws on open-source data, Belarusian underground information and insider information from the Russian general staff.
- Russia is building a protected military communications network on Belarusian territory using radio-relay lines and directional antennas designed to minimize interception risk.
- Special equipment is being installed on towers of mobile carrier MTS, which is 51% Belarusian-owned and 49% Russian-owned.
- The network runs as continuous east-to-west mainlines from the Russian border to the borders of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine, with one line along the M-10 highway from Gomel to Brest.
- BELPOL representative Matviy Kupreichyk said the system's sole command center is in Russia and that it is fully subordinated to Russian military needs.
- The presentation took place on the eve of the Warsaw Security Forum, attended by Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Why it matters
The report alleges Russia is constructing a dedicated, hard-to-intercept military communications backbone across Belarusian territory, indicating deeper militarization of Belarusian infrastructure for Russian purposes. The network is described as subordinated to Russian military needs with its sole command center on Russian territory, raising questions about Belarusian sovereignty over its own communications. Because the lines are oriented toward the borders of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine, the alleged network has direct implications for NATO's eastern flank and for the war in Ukraine. Its presentation at a high-profile Warsaw security forum with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya present gives the findings a significant international audience.
What happened
BELPOL and the conspiratorial Society of Railway Workers of Belarus presented a 48-page analytical report titled 'Militarization of Belarus' at a security forum in Warsaw on the eve of the Warsaw Security Forum. According to the report, which draws on open-source data, Belarusian underground information and insider information from the Russian general staff, Russia is building a new protected military communications network on Belarusian territory for its Ministry of Defense. The network is composed mainly of radio-relay lines and directional antennas designed to transmit data with minimal risk of interception or eavesdropping, with special equipment installed on towers of mobile carrier MTS — a company 51% owned by Belarusian interests and 49% by Russian capital. The report says the network is being built not from Minsk to regional centers, but as continuous east-to-west main lines from the Russian border to the borders of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine, with one line laid along the M-10 highway on the Gomel–Brest route. BELPOL representative Matviy Kupreichyk stated that the system's sole command center is located in Russia and that the system will be fully subordinated to Russian military needs. Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya participated in the presentation.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language coverage frames the report as a threat to both Ukraine and NATO's eastern flank, presenting Belarus under Alyaksandr Lukashenka not as a neutral party but as a continuing rear base for the Russian war machine. The coverage highlights President Volodymyr Zelensky's warnings about imminent provocations and a probable ground operation scenario against the West, as well as Tsikhanouskaya's warning that repeaters are also located near EU borders, placing the Belarusian infrastructure within a broader pattern of Russian escalation.
Background
Russia used Belarusian territory as a launching ground for its northern offensive at the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Alyaksandr Lukashenka has publicly stated that Belarusian troops will not fight Ukraine and that the Union State advocates a peaceful settlement, while the report and accompanying commentary characterize Belarus as continuing to function as a logistical and military rear base for Russia, including hosting relay stations used to direct strike drones. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has separately warned that relay stations in Belarus are placed near EU borders, and President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly warned of preparations for provocations, including possible ground operations against the West. Minsk and Moscow have been described as activating a new series of migration provocations on NATO borders alongside other forms of pressure.