Belarus builds new military training ground with railway near Ukraine border
Photo: Belarus is building a new military training ground with a railroad near the border with Ukraine (Getty Images)
In Belarus’ Gomel region, near the border with Ukraine, railway infrastructure is being built for the mass and rapid unloading of heavy wheeled and tracked equipment directly from military trains, according to Belarusian Radio Liberty.
According to project documentation obtained by the Belarusian Railway Workers’ Community, separate railway infrastructure is being designed near the village of Yakimovka for a facility officially named Construction of a Training Ground in the Gomel Region.
The customer is listed as the Military Design Institute. The project includes a separate access track designed for 60 railcars and a cargo platform with a ramp for unloading wheeled and tracked equipment.
The exact location of the new landfill is not yet known.
Photo: Belarus is building a new military training ground with a railway near the border with Ukraine (Belarusian Railway Workers’ Community)
Large-scale construction of a new military base has been underway near Gomel since late 2023, where the 37th separate air assault brigade of Belarus’ Special Operations Forces is likely to be deployed.
The government of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko established this brigade in 2025 to “strengthen the southern sector” — allegedly to protect against threats from Ukraine.
The eastern part of the new facility is marked on Belarusian state cadastral maps as a “military town,” while the western part is designated as a “training and tactical field.”
In June 2026, media reported that construction of some facilities at the new military town had been completed. Construction of railway tracks is currently underway.
Belarus’ role in Russia’s war against Ukraine
Belarus plays an important role in Russia’s war against Ukraine, although Belarusian troops are not directly participating in the fighting.
At the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, the regime of Lukashenko allowed Russian troops to use Belarusian territory as a launchpad for an offensive against Ukraine. Tens of thousands of Russian troops entered Ukraine through Belarusian territory.
Since then, Minsk has continued its military cooperation with Moscow. Russia uses Belarusian military bases and training grounds, and the countries regularly conduct joint military exercises.
Belarus also agreed to deploy Russian tactical nuclear weapons on its territory and later — Russian Oreshnik hypersonic missiles.
Belarus also remains part of Russia’s military infrastructure. In 2026, Ukraine said that Moscow planned to establish ground control stations for long-range attack drones on Belarusian territory.
Moreover, Kyiv accused Minsk of using equipment on Belarusian territory to facilitate Russian attacks.
At the same time, Lukashenko continues to claim that he does not plan to send the Belarusian army to fight against Ukraine. However, this does not change the fact that his regime has provided Russia with territory, military infrastructure, and other capabilities for waging the war.
Belarus continued to strengthen its military presence near the border with Ukraine and deploy new units. However, Ukrainian border guards have not yet recorded signs of preparations for an offensive.
