Our Scans · Belarus · Weekly Summary

• In 2022, Belarus amended its constitution to allow Russian nuclear weapons on its territory, a decision followed by the transfer of tactical warheads and the expected deployment of Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missiles, capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, by the end of 2025. Aerotime
• At the national level, countries like Nauru, Belarus, and Saudi Arabia exhibited the highest proportions of stroke DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, particularly high systolic blood pressure and high BMI. Frontiers
• Belarus reported the highest proportion of stroke-DALYs attributable to metabolic risks (66.31%), and the highest proportion of stroke-DALYs attributable to high systolic blood pressure (56.86%). Frontiers
• Russia will launch a major offensive in Ukraine in 2025, while German intelligence foresees major exercises in Belarus, threatening Lithuania. Medium
• The so-called Brell power grid - which stands for Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania - is controlled almost entirely by Moscow and had long been seen as a vulnerability for the three Baltic states. The Dispatch
• The increased production will not only bolster American food security but also help displace potash exports from non-aligned nations such as Russia and Belarus. RBC Thought Leadership
• Russia has conducted a strategy of creeping takeover that, according to leaked documents, will undermine Belarus' sovereignty and culminate in 2030, when Belarus will supposedly join the Russian Federation. Foreign Policy Research Institute
• The decision of the Baltic countries and Poland's withdrawal from The Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of anti-personnel mines is an illogical step, a consequence of the fear of a military threat allegedly emanating from Belarus and the Russian Federation. EADaily
• The serious and persistent nature of the hybrid threats at the Eastern EU border by Russia and Belarus, pose new challenges for the EU. European Commission Representation in Cyprus
• Even if a cease-fire is agreed in Ukraine, Russia will likely continue to scale up its war economy, supported by Belarus, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Eunews
• As long as Lukashenka is in power, Belarus will remain a launchpad for Russian aggression: Russian troops must be withdrawn not only from Ukraine but also from Belarus, including their nuclear weapons. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
• A new factory in Belarus, a Russian ally nestled among the Eastern European countries looking to deter Russia, has a new factory it says will build 100,000 drones in 2025. Gizmodo
• Belarus is an additional Russian military district, so the threat coming from Belarus is orchestrated by Russia. ABC News
• The National Bank of Belarus reportedly plans to launch a digital ruble in the second half of 2026, starting with economic agents and expanding to government agencies and individuals in 2027. Kiffmeister Chronicles
• The Russian threat is not limited to Ukraine but extends to Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, and the Baltic States, highlighting how it impacts democratic systems and critical infrastructure. Portugal.com
• If Russian backing weakens, whether due to significant shifts in the war with Ukraine or political instability within Russia itself, it could create an opportunity for political change in Belarus. Sceeus
• Belarus plans to raise the issue of hostile, insulting and boorish attitude towards citizens of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine legally residing in some EU countries. Belarusian Telegraph Agency
• As the burgeoning security partnership between Belarus and Iran deepens, it could provide a secure flow of critical drone technology to Russian forces in Ukraine, with shorter supply lines and less vulnerable production sites. War on the Rocks
• The international agreement will promote cooperation between Belarus and Pakistan in road transport and facilitate the export of road transport services to Pakistan and neighboring countries. Belarusian Telegraph Agency
• The so-called Brell power grid - which stands for Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania - is controlled almost entirely by Moscow and has long been seen as a vulnerability for the former Soviet republics, which are now Nato members. BBC News
• Russia may deploy a permanent Russian force presence in Belarus in order to increase Russia's capacity to threaten NATO's eastern flank and continues to assess that the Kremlin is using the Union State framework to advance its strategic effort to de facto annex Belarus. Institute for the Study of War
• The so-called Brell power grid - which stands for Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania - is controlled almost entirely by Moscow and has long been seen as a vulnerability for the three Baltic states. BBC News
• Beyond sanctions, the clearest way to deter Belarusian production of Iranian drone technology would be for Ukraine to threaten Belarus with retaliation against production sites, as it has done in Russia. War on the Rocks

Last updated: 17 June 2025