The Kremlin may be looking to use its close integration with Belarus to help address ongoing manpower shortages in its military, according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), AzerNEWS reports.
In a recent assessment, ISW suggested that Moscow could seek to leverage the Union State framework between Russia and Belarus to deepen Minsk’s involvement in the war and potentially gain access to Belarusian human resources.
According to the analysts, Russia may eventually attempt to recruit Belarusian citizens into the Russian Armed Forces or into joint military formations established under the Union State arrangement.
The assessment comes as Russia continues to face challenges in replenishing military personnel amid its prolonged war in Ukraine.
Separately, Belarus’ Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that mobilization exercises are currently underway in the Grodno Region. According to the ministry, around 2,000 reservists and conscripts have been called up as part of activities aimed at verifying military records and conducting training exercises.
While Belarus has not directly entered the war in Ukraine, the country remains Russia’s closest military ally and has provided its territory for Russian military operations since the beginning of the conflict. ISW analysts argue that expanding military cooperation under the Union State framework could offer Moscow additional options for addressing personnel shortages in the future.