Lukashenko: situation around Belarus is not so simple
Aleksandr Lukashenko has outlined three blocks of issues when making a decision on state border protection in 2023 at today’s meeting with participation of State Secretary of the Security Council Aleksandr Volfovich, Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin, Chairman of the State Border Committee Anatoly Lappo, and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces – First Deputy Defence Minister Viktor Gulevich
“Actually, although we have a traditional event today (we annually meet to make a decision on state border protection at the beginning of the year), this year is different: in my opinion, the military-political and also economic situation around Belarus now is not so simple as ever before. I would primarily like to be reported by the Chairman of the State Border Committee on this situation. What is happening around the country’s perimeter? We already addressed this issue more than once last year, and we have also discussed it this year, but the situation is changing rapidly, and the dynamics are very intense. As of this morning, what is the situation on Belarus’ state border?” the President addressed those present in the beginning of the meeting.
The second block of issues under consideration concerned migration issues. “We have not talked about it for a long time, our society has not been privy to this problem lately. Refugees [will be in focus],” the Head of State noted.
Aleksandr Lukashenko added that, although flows [of refugees] have decreased, the problem is till topical, “People are fleeing the war. That’s okay for those from Ukraine: these are our people. There are no special problems here. Those wishing come and stay in Belarus for permanent residence. Someone asks for certain services: i.e. a shelter, food or medical treatment. We do all this, and there is no problem in this regard. Meanwhile, the flow of people from Asia (Afghanistan, Iran) does not stop; we have recorded this. Moreover, people are coming here even from the south, from the Persian Gulf region. We have recorded Syrians. What [other] nationalities are coming? Who are they? From which countries are they migrating through Belarus? Has this flow increased or decreased in dynamics?”
The Head of State called the support of border guards by the Armed Forces the third very serious focus of today’s meeting, “We have not made a secret of this. We have attracted considerable forces of our army to support border troops, so what is the situation in this regard? Are there enough forces and funds that we are sending to strengthen the state border, including in the south of Belarus, on the border with Ukraine? The police are involved here as well, and local authorities are doing a great job by rendering all possible support. The units of the Armed Forces [are also involved]. The Defence Minister and the Head of the General Staff will report on this issue.”
According to the State Border Committee, all the instructions given by the Head of State to the border service bodies in 2022 have been fulfilled. The situation on the state border is predictable and controlled. At the same time, there were observed external challenges to border security related to militarisation of the border regions of the neighbouring states of the European Union and Ukraine, intensification of intelligence activities, and also attempts of radical individuals to penetrate into Belarus.
At present, a group of up to 23,500 armed troops of the neighbouring states of the European Union and Ukraine is located near the Belarusian border; Ukraine and Poland account for most of them (17,200 and 3,700 respectively).
Moreover, ‘an iron curtain’ is being erected along Belarus’ borders; it comprises not just stationary engineering structures and fences, but also minefields in the southern direction. As of January 1st, 2023, over 980km of engineering barriers of various types were erected, including 202km by Poland, 553km by Lithuania, 86km by Latvia, and 141km by Ukraine.
There is registered an active aerial reconnaissance of the Belarusian territory by unmanned aerial vehicles. Since the beginning of the special military operation, 463 drone flights have been recorded along the state border.
The Ukrainian side is actively carrying out provocative actions along the entire section of the border. These include damage to the border infrastructure, insults and psychological pressure on Belarusian border guards, demonstrative actions (with use of weapons, sound equipment, lasers, leaflets, and others). In 2022, eighty-eight facts of the kind were registered on the southern border.
In this difficult situation, all servicemen – who are directly guarding the border – have been provided with personal protective equipment in order to protect life and health. In addition, a system of engineering structures and barriers has been created in places of duty at the border and in units.
Last year, strengthening of the Belarusian-Ukrainian section of the border continued, and – at the expense of the State Border Committee’s internal reserves – the Gden outpost of the Gomel border group was formed, and the Mutvitsa point of the Pinsk border detachment was reorganised into a border outpost. Aviation units equipped with gyroplanes and unmanned aviation complexes were created in the Grodno and Smorgon border groups, Lida and Mozyr detachments.
Tactical exercises with live firing took place, with participation of manoeuvrable groups – as part of the improvement of servicemen’s operational and combat training. In order to maintain high combat and mobilisation readiness, the mobilisation reserve units of the territorial bodies of the border service took part in combat co-ordination events.
In 2022, the Belarusian border service continued to improve the border infrastructure and territory as part of the prescheduled plans. As a result, more than 19km of guard sections with border roads and a control lane were equipped in the Baltic direction, and about 9km of barriers for subsequent equipping with alarm means were prepared. Eight pedestrian bridges were built. In the Polish direction, the main efforts were focused on maintaining the existing engineering infrastructure in a good state, taking into account weather conditions.
Most work was completed in the Ukrainian direction: here, about 23km of new border guard sections were equipped last year, in addition to 26km of barriers for subsequent technical equipment. Alarm systems covered more than 25km of the border. Moreover, 60km of the border were covered by a modern complex of technical controls, including seismic sensors, cameras and data transmission facilities within the Polesie State Radiation and Ecological Reserve. Six automated technical monitoring posts were installed to ensure remote monitoring of open areas. Three pedestrian bridges were built.
Last year, the border service agencies carried out a set of measures to stabilise the migration situation on the border with the neighbouring EU states, to prevent illegal displacement of violators from their territory to Belarus. As a result, more than 3,800 attempts of illegal displacement of groups of foreigners – totalling 31,000+ persons – from the neighbouring EU states to Belarus were stopped.
Since the beginning of the migration crisis (from August 2021 to January 23rd, 2023), seventeen dead refugees have been found in the immediate vicinity of the border.
In 2022, the number of detained border violators increased by 51 percent (from 318 to 480 persons), while the total number of violators of the state border legislation rose by 10 percent (from 1,857 to 2,043 persons). In addition, 52 persons – with the signs of involvement in extremist activities – were identified during their attempts to enter Belarus.
As part of the fight against organised cross-border crime, the border service agencies independently and in co-operation with other law enforcement agencies suppressed 50 channels of illegal activity (there were 23 of them in 2021), including thirty-one channels of illegal transit migration (50 organisers and accomplices were detained) and 19 drug trafficking channels (19 organisers and accomplices). In total, 69 organisers and accomplices of organised cross-border illegal activities were detained in 2022 (in 2021, the figure made 29).
A significant increase in the volume of illicit trafficking of drugs across the border was registered; in 2022, more than 167kg were seized. The 47-fold increase against the figures of 2021 was due to the lifting of COVID-related restrictions and resumption of the direct and transit drug trafficking channels from the EU and Ukraine.
Last year, more than 3m vehicles and over 8.5m people were allowed to cross the border (an increase of 28 percent). About 2,700 persons with faulty documents were banned.
In 2022, the e-queue system was introduced at the Berestovitsa checkpoint, and customs authorities received some border functions at six checkpoints (Grigorovshchina, Benyakoni, Benyakoni at the Benyakoni Railway Station, Svisloch at the Svisloch Railway Station, Mokrany, and Verkhny Terebezhov) as part of the continuation of work to optimise control procedures.
Last year, the State Border Committee disbursed more than $4.5m in international technical aid to develop border infrastructure and solve humanitarian issues at the border. Due to Western sanctions against Belarus, the operation of some international technical aid projects was suspended.
Against the background of terminated contacts with the Ukrainian side, the border service agencies continued to demarcate the state border with Ukraine – following all security measures. 143 border signs were installed within the Narovlya District of the Gomel Region, and geodetic works completed on the border section within the Stolin District of the Brest Region.
In 2023, the main efforts dealing with border protection will be focused on the Ukrainian direction, as well as on areas where new external challenges and threats to border security may arise.
Other main tasks will include the increase of border service bodies’ combat readiness by improving combat training and equipping units, as well as by enhancing combat capabilities of manoeuvre groups, developing the department's potential to identify external threats to border security, improving the state border infrastructure – including construction of new border guard points and equipping them with the most modern technical means in the most dangerous sections.
photos: www.belta.by
