Territory
A Council decision states that Russia attacked Ukraine, including from Belarusian territory.
Source: EUR-Lex · Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/512 · 23.04.2026DOCUMENTARY SECTION / 2021—2026
Belarus, Russia and the war against Ukraine
Documents, dates and sources on Belarusian authorities’ support for Russia’s military aggression. Institutional assessments are attributed to their authors.
2022→2026
24.02.2022
24 FEBRUARY 2022
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On 24 February the European Council condemned Belarusian involvement. Council Decision 2026/512 states that the attack came in part from Belarusian territory.
01 / DOCUMENTS
How Russia used Belarusian territory
Forms of support listed by the Council of the EU. The date marks the beginning of the period, not the date of each individual incident.
02 / EUROPEAN UNION
What the European Union says
“involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine”
Source: Council of the EU · Press release · 02.03.2022
“continued support provided by the Lukashenka regime to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine”
Source: Council of the European Union · Belarus policy · 2026
18.06.2026
2026: support continues
On 18 June 2026 the European Council again condemned continued military support for Russia by Belarus. The Council adopted further restrictions in April and July.
Source: European Council · Conclusions · 18.06.2026Source: EUR-Lex · Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/512 · 23.04.2026Source: EUR-Lex · Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1847 · 23.07.202603 / 2021—2026
Document timeline
Event dates and publication dates can differ. The event or decision date is shown here; source dates appear beside each link.
2021
Joint Zapad-2021 exercises
Russia and Belarus held joint strategic exercises. This is pre-invasion context, not proof of a decision to invade.
Source: OSW · Zapad-2021 exercises · 03.09.20212022
Lukashenko–Putin meeting
The two leaders met in the Kremlin; an official photograph documents the meeting and date.
Source: Wikimedia Commons · Russian-Belarusian talks · 18.02.2022Invasion begins
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The European Council condemned Belarusian involvement; a later EU legal act specifically notes an attack also from Belarusian territory.
Source: EUR-Lex · Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/512 · 23.04.2026Council details forms of support
The Council listed missiles, transportation, aircraft, refuelling and storage; it sanctioned 22 additional people and introduced trade restrictions.
Source: Council of the EU · Press release · 02.03.2022Further EU financial measures
The Council adopted further financial restrictions on Belarus, including disconnecting three banks from SWIFT.
Source: Council of the EU · Sanctions timeline · 20262023
European Council condemns support
The European Council again condemned support for Russian aggression by Belarusian authorities.
Source: European Council · Conclusions, 23 March 2023 · 23.03.2023EU export restrictions expanded
The Council extended export restrictions, including on firearms and aviation and space goods. Separate individual listings that day addressed repression.
Source: Council of the EU · Sanctions timeline · 20262024
New EU restrictions
The Council adopted trade, services, transport and anti-circumvention measures in response to Belarus’s involvement in Russian aggression.
Source: Council of the EU · Press release · 29.06.20242025
Restrictions renewed
The Council extended restrictive measures against Belarus until February 2026.
Source: Council of the EU · Sanctions timeline · 2026Further EU measures on Belarus
The Council included Belarus measures in its eighteenth sanctions package responding to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Source: Council of the EU · Sanctions timeline · 20262026
Extension until February 2027
The Council extended restrictive measures on Belarus until 28 February 2027.
Source: Council of the EU · Sanctions timeline · 2026EU Decision 2026/512
The Council expanded restrictions on certain goods, technologies and transit in response to continued Belarusian involvement.
Source: EUR-Lex · Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/512 · 23.04.2026Continued military support condemned
The European Council condemned continued military support for Russia, including by Belarus.
Source: European Council · Conclusions · 18.06.2026EU Decision 2026/1847
The Council imposed further restrictions linked to Belarus’s involvement, expanding controlled goods and restrictions on certain imports.
Source: EUR-Lex · Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1847 · 23.07.202604 / COOPERATION
Lukashenko and Putin: cooperation
Meetings, exercises and integration programmes. These are publicly documented actions; motives are not inferred.
Joint Zapad-2021 exercises
Russia and Belarus held joint strategic exercises. This is pre-invasion context, not proof of a decision to invade.
Source: OSW · Zapad-2021 exercises · 03.09.2021Lukashenko–Putin meeting
The two leaders met in the Kremlin; an official photograph documents the meeting and date.
Source: Wikimedia Commons · Russian-Belarusian talks · 18.02.2022Integration programmes
The Russian government reported approval of 28 Union State programmes in November 2021; this concerns economic and institutional integration.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation · Union State programmes · 2021Invasion begins
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The European Council condemned Belarusian involvement; a later EU legal act specifically notes an attack also from Belarusian territory.
Source: EUR-Lex · Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/512 · 23.04.2026European Council condemns support
The European Council again condemned support for Russian aggression by Belarusian authorities.
Source: European Council · Conclusions, 23 March 2023 · 23.03.202305 / EU LEGAL ACTS
Sanctions for supporting Russian aggression
Council details forms of support
The Council listed missiles, transportation, aircraft, refuelling and storage; it sanctioned 22 additional people and introduced trade restrictions.
Source: Council of the EU · Press release · 02.03.2022Further EU financial measures
The Council adopted further financial restrictions on Belarus, including disconnecting three banks from SWIFT.
Source: Council of the EU · Sanctions timeline · 2026EU export restrictions expanded
The Council extended export restrictions, including on firearms and aviation and space goods. Separate individual listings that day addressed repression.
Source: Council of the EU · Sanctions timeline · 2026New EU restrictions
The Council adopted trade, services, transport and anti-circumvention measures in response to Belarus’s involvement in Russian aggression.
Source: Council of the EU · Press release · 29.06.2024Restrictions renewed
The Council extended restrictive measures against Belarus until February 2026.
Source: Council of the EU · Sanctions timeline · 2026Further EU measures on Belarus
The Council included Belarus measures in its eighteenth sanctions package responding to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Source: Council of the EU · Sanctions timeline · 2026Extension until February 2027
The Council extended restrictive measures on Belarus until 28 February 2027.
Source: Council of the EU · Sanctions timeline · 2026EU Decision 2026/512
The Council expanded restrictions on certain goods, technologies and transit in response to continued Belarusian involvement.
Source: EUR-Lex · Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/512 · 23.04.2026EU Decision 2026/1847
The Council imposed further restrictions linked to Belarus’s involvement, expanding controlled goods and restrictions on certain imports.
Source: EUR-Lex · Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1847 · 23.07.202606 / ATTRIBUTED POSITION
Official Minsk’s position
Lukashenko has said Belarus would not enter the war directly unless attacked. This concerns direct troop participation in combat and is separate from documented Russian use of Belarusian territory and infrastructure.
Source: Reuters · Lukashenko says Belarus will not be dragged into Ukraine war · 21.05.202607 / ORIGINAL RECORDS
Official documents
Source: Council of the European Union · Belarus policy · 2026Source: European Council · Conclusions, 24 February 2022 · 24.02.2022Source: Council of the EU · Press release · 02.03.2022Source: European Council · Conclusions, 23 March 2023 · 23.03.2023Source: Council of the EU · Press release · 29.06.2024Source: European Council · Conclusions · 18.06.2026Source: EUR-Lex · Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/512 · 23.04.2026Source: EUR-Lex · Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1847 · 23.07.2026Source: Council of the EU · Sanctions timeline · 2026