Belarus fortifies border as Ukraine intensifies offensive on Russia
Belarusians are moving military forces to the border with Ukraine. This is in response to the increasingly audacious Ukrainian charge into the territory of the Russian Federation. According to analysts, the Belarusians might be trying to divert the attention of Ukrainian troops.
The Ukrainians have been conducting a strong offensive toward Kursk Oblast for several days, regularly seizing additional locations. As a result, the Russians are shelling their own territory with powerful Iskander missiles, though this remains ineffective – the defenders continue their charge without stopping.
Belarus responds to Ukrainian actions
In response to the audacious actions of the Ukrainians, Belarus is coming to the aid of the Russian Federation. The authorities in Minsk have decided to send heavy equipment to the border with Ukraine. According to the Russian TASS agency, T-72 tanks, as well as Polonez and Iskander missile systems, have been sent toward Ukraine.
According to Lukashenko, strengthening the borders is a response to violations of Belarusian airspace by Ukrainian drones. However, some claim Belarus is trying to divert the attention of the Ukrainian army and weaken it – says Andrij Kowalenko, head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
T-72 tanks and Polonez and Iskander systems on the border
In the video published by the profile @InsiderGeo on the X platform, you can see how Belarusians are transporting T-72 tanks by rail. These are some of the machines sent to the border with Ukraine. The mentioned tanks are powered by a 780 hp engine, which can reach a speed of 60 km/h. The main armament of the vehicle consists of a 125 mm 2A46M cannon with a reserve of 39 rounds, and PKT 7.62 mm machine guns, and a large-calibre DSzK (or NSW) 12.7 mm machine gun.
Additionally, the Polonez missile system, a Belarusian long-range self-propelled multi-launch rocket system with a calibre of 301 mm, was sent to the border with Ukraine. China was likely involved in its production, as the Polonez was supposedly based on their A200 system.
The Belarusian weapon carries eight rockets that can reach targets up to 200 km away from the launcher. The precision of Polonez's fire is measured at a maximum of 50 m in CEP.
Iskander, on the other hand, is another piece of tactical ballistic weaponry. The system uses missiles over 7 m long and almost 1 m in diameter. A single piece of ammunition weighs up to 4.4 tonnes and in the Iskander-M variant reaches targets up to 500 km away. The missile can carry various types of warheads, including cluster, high explosive fragmentation, thermobaric, or thermonuclear. Compared to the Polonez, the Iskander system has higher accuracy, with a CEP measured at 30 m.
