Number of Belarusians joining Russian army rises 100-fold

This was reported in a joint investigation by Slidstvo.Info, the Belarusian Investigative Center, and KibOrg titled “Patriots of Two States: How Belarusians Are Forced to Fight to the Death Against Ukrainians.”

Journalists obtained a list of 1,031 Belarusian citizens who joined the Russian armed forces. The first contract was signed in July 2022, and the latest in July 2025. While only six Belarusians volunteered in 2022, the number rose to 235 in 2023 and 518 in 2024.

This year, according to intelligence data, contract signings have slowed: by early July, 157 people had enlisted.

For another 116 volunteers, the date of enlistment is not specified. Nearly half of those on the list (498 people) hold the lowest military rank — private — while there is only one warrant officer.

At the same time, according to the Coordinating Headquarters project for the voluntary surrender of Russian servicemen, “I Want to Live,” 596 Belarusian citizens signed contracts with the Russian armed forces in the first half of 2025. This is almost 100 times more than in all of 2022.

According to journalists’ calculations, over 10% of Belarusian mercenaries have already died, and another 8% are missing. This means that, with high probability, one in five Belarusian mercenaries is already dead.

• On September 12, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense announced the start of the joint strategic exercise of the Belarusian and Russian armed forces, Zapad-2025. According to official information, it will run from September 12 to 16 at training grounds in both countries.