Belarus Launches Military TV Channel Amid Growing Alignment with Russia

Belarus has expanded its state media apparatus with the launch of VoenTV, a new nationwide television channel dedicated to military-themed content and “patriotic” programming, according to Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation.

The channel made its debut on February 23, a date deliberately chosen for its significance as the traditional Soviet Army Day celebration. This timing highlights the ideological underpinnings of the new media venture, which Belarusian officials claim responds to “societal demand for patriotic content” and aims to strengthen “information security.”

VoenTV’s programming will feature a mix of patriotic films, documentaries, and children’s content. While these formats might seem routine, the channel’s expansion represents a significant shift in Belarus’s media landscape and its relationship with neighboring Russia.

For more than three decades, VoenTV operated as an internal media resource within Belarus’s Defense Ministry. Its transformation into a full-fledged national broadcaster, available in countrywide packages and accessible throughout Belarus, marks a substantial expansion of military messaging to the general public.

The militarization of Belarusian media comes amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, which began in 2022. Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation characterized the move as further evidence of Minsk’s complicity in Russia’s invasion, despite Belarus not officially entering the conflict with its own troops.

Since the war’s beginning, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has allowed his country to serve as a critical staging ground for Russian military operations. The Council on Foreign Relations has documented how Belarus provided territory, airbases, and infrastructure that enabled Russian forces to launch their initial assault on Kyiv in February 2022. Russian troops have continued to use Belarusian territory for missile strikes into Ukraine.

The expansion of military-themed media coincides with increased military activity within Belarus. Recent months have seen mass convocations of reservists and intensified drills near the Ukrainian border. While Belarusian authorities have framed these as routine readiness checks, the actions have raised concerns among neighboring countries, including NATO members who share borders with Belarus.

Since mid-February, Belarusian authorities have reportedly conducted sudden military exercises requiring the call-up of reserves. Social media accounts indicate that the draft has affected a broad segment of the population, including fathers of multiple children and individuals without prior military service. These actions have caused alarm in local communities already on edge due to the regional security situation.

The Center for Countering Disinformation noted that the launch of VoenTV signals deeper ideological alignment between Minsk and Moscow, despite previous efforts by Belarusian officials to project neutrality in the conflict. The expansion of military-themed media represents a further step in Belarus’s integration with Russian strategic communications and propaganda efforts.

Media analysts view the development as part of a broader pattern of information control in Belarus, where independent media has faced severe restrictions in recent years. Following contested elections in 2020 and subsequent protests, the Lukashenko government cracked down on opposition voices and tightened its grip on the nation’s information space.

For Ukraine and its Western allies, the militarization of Belarusian media presents additional challenges in the information domain, complementing the physical threat posed by Belarus’s role as a staging ground for Russian forces. The development underscores the complex regional dynamics at play as the conflict continues to reshape Eastern Europe’s security landscape.

As Belarus deepens its military cooperation with Russia through both physical and information channels, neighboring countries remain watchful of further developments that could signal shifts in the regional balance of power.