Belarus flexes military might on controversial independence day

Columns of tanks, armoured vehicles, and rocket launchers drove through Minsk, accompanied by a march of hundreds of soldiers. Today, the regime celebrates Independence Day. "Thousands of Belarusians are calling registration and conscription offices and asking for weapons to protect the border," said Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.

The Belarusian regime is celebrating Belarus Independence Day today. Until 1996, this holiday was celebrated on July 27 to commemorate the Supreme Council's declaration of sovereignty in 1990. Then, on the initiative of Alexander Lukashenko, Independence Day celebrations were held on July 3, the anniversary of the Red Army's occupation of Minsk.

Thousands of soldiers marched through the streets of Minsk. The crowd also admired military equipment. Earlier, military planes flew over the city. Belarus was flexing its muscles. Regime media also showed a radiation warning sign on several rocket launchers, which is supposed to be alleged evidence of Belarus possessing Russian nuclear warheads.

The Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko appeared at the celebrations, stating that "thousands of Belarusians are calling registration and conscription offices and asking for weapons to protect the border."

"We talk a lot about weapons, weapons, and ammunition, but the most important thing is our people. Just yesterday, they felt the worsening situation on our southern borders; thousands of calls were made to the military registration and recruitment offices and to units. 'Take us into the army, give us weapons, we will defend our homeland,'" quoted Lukashenko. "No need! Work calmly," said the dictator, who, on this occasion, also scared Belarusians with the West.

Today's Independence Day celebrations are not recognized by the opposition and free Belarus, which celebrates Independence Day on March 25. This so-called Freedom Day commemorates the establishment of the independent Belarusian state after the signing of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty (March 3, 1918), under which, on March 25, 1918, the establishment of the independent state of the Belarusian People’s Republic was officially declared. Lukashenko does not recognize these celebrations.

According to the propaganda agency BelTa, leaders from Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, India, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, and North Korea congratulated the Belarusian leader and nation. Pope Francis, the Patriarch of Moscow, and all Rus' Kirill also sent congratulations.