Aleksandr Lukashenko approves decision on state border protection in 2025

On January 30 Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko approved the decision on state border protection in 2025.

“Traditionally, at the beginning of a new year, we approve a resolution to protect the state border. Today's document is not just the state border on land, water and air. It is a serious decision to protect the sovereignty and defense of our state,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The President noted that all uniformed agencies from police to the military are involved in the defense of the Belarusian borders, because it is difficult for border troops alone to ensure the protection of more than 3,600 kilometers.

“I will say frankly. Along with the protection of the state border the border troops have another important mission, namely to foresee possible threats in time. Other agencies are also engaged in border protection, but first of all it is the task of our border guards to foresee possible threats to our security. Then, having mobilized all the forces that the country has (from the police to the army, the Defense Ministry), we will be able to confront the enemy,” the head of state said.

"The situation on the border is challenging, we have been talking about it all the time. Nowadays, border guards, customs officers, especially at checkpoints, have a lot of work to do. There are enormous queues on both sides of the border. It is an additional burden on our border guards," Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.

The President added that he knows firsthand what checkpoints and green borders mean and how the borders are protected. "This is not an easy task. So let's discuss the main aspects of state border protection. If we come to a full understanding and agreement with the proposal of the border troops, we will approve the resolution on the protection of the state border," the Belarusian leader said.

The head of state inquired about the current situation near and on the border and asked what issues need to be tackled.

According to Chairman of the Belarusian State Border Committee Konstantin Molostov, the border service is constantly taking measures to enhance the efficiency of border protection, build up engineering infrastructure, advance their weapons, equipment and combat training. Under the state Border Security Program for 2021-2025, the border service established guard lines and automated technical observation posts, installed alarm systems and rapidly deployable sensors.

We also started to create a high-tech unit on the border with Poland at the Hero of the Soviet Union Lieutenant Andrei Kizhevatov border outpost of the Brest branch of the border service,  Konstantin Molostov added. This is envisaged in the relevant program of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. This will significantly improve the protection and allow switching from patrolling the area to responding to developments in real time and optimizing the personnel structure.

"To improve the efficiency of using manned and unmanned aerial vehicles for border protection, we reorganized aviation units, which ensures the centralized use of gyroplanes, their maintenance and supply. We also introduced positions of drone operators in the border units," the State Border Committee pointed out.