Ukrainsk försvarslinje nära Belarus efter nya tecken

Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has supported its eastern neighbour in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Before the start of the offensive, Belarus allowed the Russian Armed Forces to perform weeks-long military drills on its territory, which the Russians did not leave after they were supposed to finish. The country did not oppose it being used as a launching pad for the invasion of Russian troops that started on 24 February, which they actively used as Belarus' border was close to Kyiv, Ukraine's capital.Belarus initially denied having anything in common with the conflict, but has since admitted to allowing Russian missile launchers stationed on its territory to shoot at Ukrainian targets. Several reports have emerged in Belarus opposition media and among the Ukrainian military that Belarusian troops are on Ukrainian soil fighting together with Russians, but Belarus's leader Aleksander Lukashenko dismissed them and said that the Belarusian Armed Forces would not participate directly in the conflict. The involvement of Belarus was condemned in Western countries, with the European Union, the United States, Canada, and Japan imposing sanctions against Belarus. According to Chatham House, Belarus's participation in the military conflict is unpopular among the general population; protests were held on 27 February, the day of the constitutional referendum which asked to revoke Belarus's non-nuclear country status, but were quickly dispersed. Several hackers affiliated with the Ukrainian military or with Anonymous have targeted Belarusian government agencies as well as the country's critical infrastructure.