Lukashenko conducts a surprise readiness check in the Armed Forces. We explain how it works
January 23, 2026
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is conducting a surprise readiness check in the Armed Forces, a BELTA correspondent reports.
As part of a large-scale check of the combat readiness of the Armed Forces of Belarus, one of the mechanized units, the 19th Separate Guards Mechanized Brigade, is being checked.
The primary goal of the check is to get an objective picture and the real state of the troops, and to assess the actions of the military personnel. This is precisely why the measures are of a surprise nature. A key feature of the check is its organization. The Head of State personally brings military units to combat readiness, bypassing the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff.
The system is structured as follows: the President signs a "secret" order detailing the plan for the upcoming check. The State Secretary of the Security Council receives a sealed envelope with the document, after which he travels with employees of the State Secretariat to the military unit designated by the Head of State.
The State Secretary promptly reports the results of the check to the President, and a detailed analysis is conducted based on the findings. "In accordance with the plan of the check, one of the mechanized units of the North-Western Operational Command has been suddenly brought to combat readiness in peacetime staffing. A group of employees from the State Secretariat arrived and handed over the order signed personally by the President," said State Secretary of the Security Council Alexander Volfovich.