Belarus Builds Military Rail Link Near Ukraine Border

Belarus is expanding military logistics infrastructure near its border with Ukraine by building a railway connection designed to handle trains of up to 60 railcars. The project is being developed near the village of Yakimivka in Belarus’ Gomel region for a facility formally designated as a training ground, Colonel Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, said in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda on Wednesday, Aug. 26.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The threat from the territory of Belarus remains,” Demchenko said, adding that “Belarus itself is actively contributing to it.” Belarus expands military infrastructure Despite repeated assurances from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that Belarus does not plan to engage in any aggressive action against Ukraine, Minsk continues to develop military infrastructure along the Ukrainian border, Demchenko noted. The project, commissioned by Belarus’ Military Design Institute, includes a dedicated railway spur, a cargo platform, and a ramp for unloading wheeled and tracked equipment, according to Belarusian outlet Radio Liberty. The design documentation was obtained by the Belarusian Association of Railway Workers, confirming that a separate railway structure, called “Construction of a training ground in Gomel Oblast” is being designed, Ukrainska Pravda reported. The precise location of the proposed training ground has not been publicly identified yet. Other Topics of Interest Polish President Wishes Ukraine Victory in War With Russia, Zelensky Publishes Letter Zelensky thanked Nawrocki and said Ukraine would “always remember Poland’s support.” New brigade expected According to Radio Liberty, the new railway forms part of a broader military construction project in the Gomel region that has been underway since at least late 2023. The site is expected to host Belarus’ 37th Separate Air Assault Brigade, part of Belarus’s Special Operation Forces, which Belarus said was created to strengthen its southern sector in response to alleged threats from Ukraine. “In general, Belarus is expanding the number of sites where personnel can be stationed, as well as logistical routes,” Demchenko said, adding that Ukrainian intelligence units are monitoring the developments to assess the level of threat. “As of now, no changes are being detected in the immediate vicinity of our border,” he continued. Wider military expansion Radio Liberty, together with Schemes – the investigative project of Radio Liberty’s Ukrainian Service, documented significant changes to Belarus’ military infrastructure over the past few years through an interactive map. The map includes military units, airfields, training grounds, ammunition and fuel depots, defense-industry facilities, and other sites, some of which have been used by Russian aviation during the 2022 offensive against Ukraine. According to Radio Liberty citing military analysts and researchers, some of the sites marked on the map are crucial to understanding how Russia, with the support of Lukashenko’s regime, might use Belarusian territory for renewed aggression against Ukraine or to threaten NATO countries. Belarus’ role in the war Though Belarus has not directly participated in Russia’s war against Ukraine, it has provided significant support, including by supplying Russia with critical weapon-making components and allowing Russian forces to use its territory to launch strikes on Ukraine. In May 2025, Belarus deployed military personnel to Russia for advanced training, to prepare them to become instructors on their return. On July 10, Demchenko separately reported that Belarus had continued to build military infrastructure along the Ukrainian border, with the facilities mainly concentrated around Kyiv and Chernihiv regions. Ukraine had already begun fortifying the border and building a defense line in the Chernihiv region in June to avoid possible “surprises” from Belarus. Earlier that month, Lukashenko said Belarus will not enter Russia’s war against Ukraine, citing the country’s military vulnerability, the risk of widening the front line and drawing in NATO, as well as underlining deep family ties across the Belarus-Ukraine border as key reasons. “Even my own roots, my ancestors’ graves are somewhere between Chernihiv and Kyiv. Are we supposed to cast it all aside, forget it, and start a war? No,” Lukashenko said. He also issued a rare public apology to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Lukashenko’s regime remains controversial On July 22, Belarus announced a plan to send poorly performing farmers to guard the border near Ukraine. “Why should we put handcuffs on people when we have a personnel shortage? Ask Khrenin, convey my instructions to him: Everyone who doesn’t know how to work – into the army and to the southern border. Into the forest,” Lukashenko said. His latest order reflected his earlier “parasite tax” on the unemployed population, which was later suspended before being reintroduced in an altered form, amid a series of human rights abuse allegations and political oppression. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.