Russia accelerates use of Belarus as rear training base

FSB comes back in from the cold 

Benefitting from the rising number of incidents on Russia's periphery and the careful staging of its response to these, the national security service has returned to the forefront of Russian politics after being given the cold shoulder over its strategic errors on Ukraine.

Strategic disinformation over troops' movements in Belarus intensify on all sides 

Belarusian troop movements and declarations from generals from Minsk to Kyiv are sowing confusion over Russia and Ukraine's actual intentions. When read from a certain angle, however, they also offer clues as to their respective strategic positions.

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Parallel private diplomacy efforts between Kyiv and Minsk secretly thriving 

Kyiv has been backing Minsk in Brussels despite Belarus's involvement with Russia. Thanks largely to the actions of well-connected middlemen in the business community, the war has not frayed the diplomatic ties between the two Eastern European capitals.

War in Ukraine: Kalinovsky Regiment aims to expand 

The militia group opposed to Alexander Lukashenko, and which is backed by the Ukrainian military intelligence service, is attracting more and more members. Led by its two clandestine commanders, however, it is still locked in dispute with the other exiled Belarusian opposition factions.

Russia ramps up strategic disinformation campaign north of Ukraine 

To divert Kyiv's attentions away from the main theatres of war in Ukraine's east and south, Russian intelligence services and private military companies are conducting a growing number of manoeuvres in Belarus. Information about these operations is being carefully 'leaked'.

Belarusian facial recognition company set to get a hearing before the EU Court of Justice 

Belarusian facial recognition firm Synesis has been fighting for 18 months against an EU decision to sanction it for its alleged role in the repression of protests against the election of Alexander Lukashenko in August 2020.

Moscow plans to hold Donbass with conscripts and prisoners 

To make up for the extreme rawness of its recently mobilised recruits, Russia's military command has set up temporary training facilities near the front line and has taken steps to stem a growing tide of desertions.