The Russian Federation intends to absorb elements of Belarus' defense industry as part of the Kremlin's efforts to rearm the Russian army to support the ongoing war against Ukraine.
This follows from a statement by the American Institute for the Study of War.
Specialists of the institute recalled the statement of Alexander Lukashenko, who stated on February 17 during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, that the Belarusian aerospace industry is ready to produce Su-25 attack aircraft for the Russian military with the support of Russian technologies.
Lukashenko also stated that the Belarusian state-owned Minsk Automobile Plant began producing components for the Russian KAMAZ and expressed readiness to help Russia in the production of electronic components to replace lost Western imports.
He also stated that Belarus is 100% implementing the indefinite agreements on cooperation in the field of defense and security, which Belarus and Russia agreed on "three months ago".
ISW believes that Russia will more actively use the military-industrial complex of Belarus to strengthen its own military potential.
"Additional Su-25s and spare parts for trucks are probably not critical to the success of Russia's long-term military effort. Despite Lukashenko's claims, the Kremlin can seize Belarusian factories and convert them to produce critical equipment needed by the Russian military. The Russians can also try to repurpose Russian factories currently engaged or equipped to produce Su-25s and trucks to produce more urgently needed equipment," the Washington-based daily reported.
ISW previously estimated that Russian forces began using Belarusian training grounds and instructors to train mobilized Russians to compensate for the deterioration of Russia's training capacity. The Kremlin appears to be similarly using elements of Belarus' defense capabilities to increase Russian defense production as Putin seeks to rebuild Russian defense capabilities to support the protracted war with Ukraine.
Key ISW findings for February 17:
- The Kremlin is likely to absorb elements of the Belarusian defense and industrial base as part of Moscow's larger effort to rearm the Russian military to support the protracted war against Ukraine.
- Lukashenko confirmed that Belarus has implemented more integration programs within the framework of the Union State, which indicates progress in the Kremlin's ten-year pressure campaign aimed at formalizing the Russian-Belarusian Union State.
- The Kremlin's successes in Belarus underscore that Putin's imperialist ambitions extend beyond Ukraine and that containing the Russian threat requires the West's constant attention.
- The Ministry of Defense of Russia has approved the names of four commanders of military districts, conducting complete replacement of the top command staff of the Russian military since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.
- Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner private military company, seems to be building up an informational counteroffensive against the traditional Russian military establishment.
- Russian troops continued offensive operations on the Svatove-Kreminna line.
- The Russian occupiers continued their ground attacks around Bakhmut, in the Donetsk-Avdiyivka area and in the west of the Donetsk Region.
- Russian and Ukrainian military activity near Nova Kakhovka indicates that Russian troops are probably deployed in positions near the banks of the Dnieper River.
- The Ministry of Defense of Great Britain reported that Russian troops probably suffered up to 200,000 casualties since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- On February 17, Vladimir Putin signed a number of laws aimed at integrating the occupied territories into Russian legal, economic and administrative structures.
Who we are: About us, Contacts. How we write news and our principles: Editorial code. We did our best. If you found this valuable – please support us.
To request a correction, please send an email.