Belarus Forms First Battalion Of New Special Operations Brigade Near Ukrainian Border

Belarus is forming a new 37th Separate Air Assault Brigade within the Special Operations Forces, which will be stationed near the border with Ukraine.

This was announced by Belarusian Special Operations Forces Commander Alexander Illyukevich during an interview with the Belarusian Defense Ministry’s TV channel.

“We have already begun forming military units, and one battalion has been formed. This year, we are forming another battalion, combat support units, artillery and air defense units, reconnaissance units,” he said.

Illyukevich added that the new brigade’s officer positions have already been filled and personnel have been assigned.

The unit will be stationed in the Gomel region, near the border with Ukraine’s Chernihiv region.

The formation of the brigade was announced in August 2025.

At the end of July, Belarusian self-proclaimed President Alexander Lukashenko said he had ordered the deployment of Special Operations Forces units along the border with Ukraine.

According to Lukashenko, the Special Operations Forces units were deployed along the southern border allegedly “to ensure security” rather than to prepare for offensive operations.

This is not the first deployment of Belarusian Special Operations Forces near the Ukrainian border since the start of the full-scale war.

For example, in February 2024, it was reported that Belarus had declared a counterterrorism operation regime along the border with Ukraine and deployed Special Operations Forces units there.

In August of the same year, the monitoring group Belaruski Gayun reported that Belarusian special forces continued to be stationed near the Ukrainian border.

The deployment involved an estimated 400-500 servicemen.