This is a list of wars and humanitarian conflicts involving the Republic of Belarus and its predecessor states (Belarusian People's Republic and Byelorussian SSR). Notable militarised interstate disputes are included.
| Conflict | Belarus & allies | Belarus's opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| World War I/Russian Civil War (1918) |  Belarusian People's Republic  Germany |  Bolsheviks | Belarusian People's Republic exiled |
| Slutsk uprising (1920) | Nationalist forces loyal to the Belarusian People's Republic |  Russian SFSR  Byelorussian SSR | Rebellion suppressed |
| Polish–Soviet War (1919–1921) | Russian SFSR  Ukrainian SSR Byelorussian SSR  Polrewkom |  Second Polish Republic  Ukrainian People's Republic | Defeat: |
| Conflict | Belarus & allies | Belarus's opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polish-Belarusian ethnic conflict (1939—1954) |  Byelorussian SSR Belarusian Collaborators | Polish people Home Army Cursed soldiers | Both Sides Claimed victory |
| World War II (1941–1944) |  Soviet Union |  Nazi Germany | Victory:
|
| Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989) |  Soviet Union |  Afghan mujahideen |
|
| Conflict | Belarus & allies | Belarus's opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Ivorian Civil War (2002—2007) |  Ivory Coast COJEP  Belarus (limited military support and mercenaries) | FNCI | Tentative peace agreement, followed by renewed conflict |
| First Libyan Civil War (2011) |  Libyan Jamahiriya Belarus: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
|  Anti-Gaddafi forces  Qatar Enforcing UNSC Resolution 1973: Other countries | Defeat:
|
| Belarusian involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022–present) (part of the Russo-Ukrainian War, 2014–present) |  Russian Federation  Belarus (provision of territory) Donetsk People's Republic  Luhansk People's Republic |  Ukraine | Ongoing:
|
Lists of wars and battles involving former states on what is now Belarus:
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an area of 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) with a population of 9.1 million, The country has a hemiboreal climate and is administratively divided into six regions. Minsk is the capital and largest city; it is administered separately as a city with special status.
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus are the military forces of Belarus. It consists of the Ground Forces and the Air Force and Air Defence Forces, all under the command of the Ministry of Defence. As a landlocked country, Belarus has no navy, however the Belarusian military does have control over some small Soviet inherited naval vessels in its rivers and lakes.
The Byelorussian SSR was one of only two Soviet republics to be separate members of the United Nations. Both republics and the Soviet Union joined the UN when the organization was founded in 1945.
Minsk is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administrative centre of Minsk Region and Minsk District. As of 2024, it has a population of about two million, making Minsk the 11th-most populous city in Europe. Minsk is one of the administrative capitals of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko is a Belarusian politician who has been the president of Belarus since the office's establishment in 1994, making him the current longest-serving head of state in Europe.
The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Byelorussia, was a republic of the Soviet Union (USSR). It existed between 1920 and 1922 as an independent state, and afterwards as one of fifteen constituent republics of the USSR from 1922 to 1991, with its own legislation from 1990 to 1991. The republic was ruled by the Communist Party of Byelorussia. Other names included White Russia or White Russian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Belarus elects on national level a head of state—the president—and a legislature. The president is elected for a five-year term by the people. The National Assembly has two chambers. The House of Representatives has 110 members elected in single-seat constituencies elected for a four-year term. The Council of the Republic has 64 members, 56 members indirectly elected and eight members appointed by the president.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus, abbreviated МUS (МУС) in Belarusian and MVD (МВД) in Russian, is a body of the Belarusian Government that is charged with the internal affairs of Belarus. Day to day law enforcement is carried out by the Militsiya. The Ministry is also tasked with providing security to state buildings and officials. Organizations such as the Presidential Guard are under the control of the Ministry. The clearing of landmines is among the tasks of the ministry.
Presidential elections were held in Belarus on 19 March 2006. The result was a victory for incumbent, President Alexander Lukashenko, who received 84.4% of the vote. However, Western observers deemed the elections rigged. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) declared that the election "failed to meet OSCE commitments for democratic elections". In contrast, election observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) described the vote as open and transparent.
Belarus and Russia share a land border and constitute the supranational Union State. Several treaties have been concluded between the two nations bilaterally. Russia is Belarus' largest and most important economic and political partner. Both are members of various international organizations, including the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and the United Nations.
Belarus and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1992. In 1947, Belarus voted in favor for the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. Belarus operates an embassy in Tel Aviv, while Israel operates an embassy in Minsk. Around 130,000 Belarusian citizens immigrated to Israel during the 1990s under the Law of Return.
The Milk War was a trade conflict between Russia and Belarus in June 2009. Russia and Belarus have close relations and the conflict stemmed from Russia allegedly attempting to pay Belarus US$500 million to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia also expressed its interest in privatizing the Belarusian milk industry. Belarus responded by seeking negotiations with the European Union on certifying Belarusian milk according to EU regulations. Russia then banned the import of dairy products from Belarus, citing alleged health concerns. The trade conflict ended on June 17, 2009, when Russia announced that it would lift the ban.
The Belarusian opposition consists of groups and individuals in Belarus seeking to challenge, from 1988 to 1991, the authorities of Soviet Belarus, and since 1995, the leader of the country Alexander Lukashenko, whom supporters of the movement often consider to be a dictator. Supporters of the movement tend to call for a parliamentary democracy based on a Western model, with freedom of speech and political and religious pluralism.
The 5th Spetsnaz Brigade is a special forces brigade of the Armed Forces of Belarus, formerly part of the Soviet Spetsnaz GRU.
The Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is an Internal Troops - paramilitary law enforcement force in the Republic of Belarus under the national Ministry of Internal Affairs. All personnel are trained in the Internal Troops Faculty of the Military Academy of Belarus.
Lev Leonidovich Dengov is a Russian-Belarusian entrepreneur and businessman. Chairman of the Board of the Russian-Libyan Trade House.
Belarus–NATO relations refers to relations between the Republic of Belarus and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has supported its eastern neighbour in the 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; however, the Russian troops did not exit the country after they were supposed to finish. Belarus allowed Russia to stage part of the invasion from its territory, giving Russia the shortest possible land route to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. However, these forces withdrew within two months, thus ceasing land-based military operations originating from Belarus and resulting in the recapture of the Ukrainian side of the border region by Ukraine. Despite this, the situation along the border remains tense, with Ukraine closing the border checkpoints leading into Belarus, bar special cases.
The Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment, formerly the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Battalion until May 2022 is a group of Belarusian opposition volunteers, which was formed to defend Ukraine against the Russian invasion in 2022.
