Around a week after a period of silence, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stepped out into public view. On May 15, he traveled to the central command post of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces to hear a briefing on how air defense missions are organized and carried out, including the execution of combat assignment tasks.
In the published photos from the command post, Lukashenko’s left hand bore a bandage, a fact also noted for his right hand during the May 9 parade. The Pool of First Telegram, a group close to the presidential press service, relayed the opening line of the president’s remarks: there were no grand announcements, and he preferred to review what was happening across the country.
alert mode
Lukashenko stated that following the downing of four aircraft in the Bryansk region, Belarus shifted its military posture to high alert. He recalled that three days had passed since the incidents near Belarus and emphasized the need to react promptly, explaining that troops were placed on elevated readiness as a result.
He added that the current situation in the republic is not critical, though there are factors that warrant close attention. In Russia, officials confirmed a single crash involving a Mi-8 helicopter in the Klintsovsky district of Bryansk on May 13, while multiple sources alleged a larger loss of aircraft. The Russian Defense Ministry has not issued an official statement on these events.
additional authorizations
Andrey Lukyanovich, who commands the Air Force and Air Defense Forces, indicated that additional forces and equipment were being mobilized to ensure continuous combat duty. He noted that every day roughly 750 to 1000 personnel undertake air defense duty within Belarusian armed forces. Following events in the Russian Federation, task forces were placed on the top line of alert. The forces mentioned include anti-aircraft missile troops, radio engineering units, and aviation branches.
Lukyanovich also mentioned that the Air Force and Air Defense Forces regularly receive updated equipment. This includes new anti-aircraft missile systems and the anticipated delivery of Su-30SM aircraft within the year.
how did the president disappear?
On the eve of the Day of the Flag, Emblem, and Anthem celebrations, rumors circulated about Lukashenko’s whereabouts. The independent outlet Nasha Niva claimed that the presidential cortege lingered for about two hours near a private hospital outside Minsk. The president has missed several official events in the past five days and was last seen in public during the May 9 military parade in Moscow.
Some reports suggested Lukashenko contracted a respiratory illness while in Russia, with a claim that several associates also showed flu-like symptoms. The presidential press service, however, stated that the president was working with documents. Political analyst Alexander Fridman commented that portraying the president as ill could appear weakening and potentially destabilizing, given Belarus’s power structure where the president plays a central, unifying role. This viewpoint reflects broader speculation about internal dynamics and leadership continuity.
The Kremlin’s response to Lukashenko’s absence centered on awaiting official information. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Russian president, urged reliance on formal statements and indicated that no official proposal had yet been made for a Lukashenko-Putin meeting, despite ongoing channels of communication between Minsk and Moscow.
These developments come amid ongoing discussions about regional security dynamics and the momentary gaps in public appearances by Belarus’s top leader. Observers note that movements within the Belarusian leadership, the readiness of air defense forces, and cross-border exchanges with Russia may influence the broader political and military climate in the region. The situation remains subject to official updates and analysis from regional media and state sources alike, with attribution forthcoming to institutions and outlets tracking these events.