Belarus moves military equipment to border amid Ukraine tensions
Belarusians are moving military forces to the border with Ukraine. This is in response to the increasingly audacious Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory. According to analysts, the Belarusians might be trying to divert the attention of Ukrainian troops.
The Ukrainians have been conducting a strong offensive towards Kursk Oblast for several days, regularly seizing additional locations. As a result, the Russians are shelling their own territory with powerful Iskander missiles, although this remains ineffective – the defenders continue their advance without stopping.
Belarus responds to Ukrainian actions
In response to the Ukrainians' audacious actions, 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, Polonez, and Iskander missile systems have been sent to Ukraine.
According to Lukashenko, strengthening the borders is a response to Ukrainian drones violating Belarusian airspace. However, Andrij Kowalenko, head of the Centre for Counteracting Disinformation of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, says there are voices that claim Belarus is trying to divert the attention of the Ukrainian army and weaken it.
T-72 tanks and Polonez and Iskander systems on the border
The video published by the profile @InsiderGeo on the X platform shows 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 accelerate the vehicle to a speed of 60 km/h. The vehicle's main armament consists of a 125 mm 2A46M cannon with a reserve of 39 rounds, 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. Polonez's fire is precision-measured at a maximum of 50 metres in CEP.
Iskander, on the other hand, is another tactical ballistic weapon. The system uses missiles over 7 metres long and almost 1 metre in diameter. A single piece of ammunition weighs up to 4 tonnes, and in the Iskander-M variant, it reaches targets up to 500 km away. The missile can carry various 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 metres.
