No longer a volunteer army

Two years ago, on 9 December 2022, Belarusian volunteers founded the Kastus Kalinouski Battalion. Since then, they have grown from a small group in the Azov territorial militia to the most powerful national representation in the Ukrainian armed forces.

The regiment is called the future army of New Belarus. What has changed in two years? First of all, it is no longer a volunteer army, but a professional one.

Infrastructure, logistics and capacity

Today, the Kalinouski Regiment is a unit with strong combat capabilities. It has an advanced organisational structure. It has a well-developed infrastructure: an authorised recruitment centre, a network of volunteers, training centres for recruits, a press centre, a vehicle service station and an internal logistics service.

The regiment's combat units include the Volat Battalion, the Litvin Battalion, a UAV named after Mikita Kryvtsov, a medical unit and a mechanised infantry unit. From 2023, a new unit named after Kasciushko was formed. It will be composed of foreigners, mainly citizens of the EU and the USA, who have served in professional military units and have extensive military experience. And this experience the regiment will pass on to Belarusian soldiers.

In 2022, the Kalinouski Regiment has been merged with the Belarusian Cyberpartisans. They are in charge of recruitment verification, and also of improving and protecting the IT - infrastructure of the Regiment

A unit according to NATO standards

Militarily, the Kalinouski Regiment can be defined as a highly mobile special forces unit with armoured vehicles, mortars, artillery and UAVs for reconnaissance, mapping and strike missions.

The battlefield and its heroes

From the moment it started fighting, the Belarusian troops took the lead in the most dangerous parts of the front - Kiev, Mikalaev, Lisichansk, Severadanetsk, Zaparazhya, Bakhmut, Klyashcheyevka, Kupyansk and other Ukrainian garrisons and towns.

Unfortunately, there are Belarusian warriors and commandos who gave their lives fighting the Russian aggressors and became the new heroes of Belarus. The first defense losses were incurred during the occupation of Kyiv - in Bucha and Irpin. There the Belarusian soldiers Ilya Khrenau, nicknamed "Litvin", and Zmitser Apanasovich, nicknamed "Terror", were killed.

Also killed in the fighting were Pavel Suslav "Volat", Ivan Marchuk "Brest", Vasiliy Grudavik "Atam", Vasiliy Parfyankov "Syabro", Vadzim Shatrov "Papik" and Miraslav Lazouski "Mysh", as well as 11 other fighters from the Kalinouski regiment whose names we cannot disclose. May they rest in peace!

Supporting the people of Belarus and the challenges of technology

The regiment's work is supported by a large network of volunteers. Despite the fact that individual donations are decreasing due to war fatigue, Belarusian companies from various countries are taking their place in funding the struggle. Organised support from Belarusians around the world has also grown.

The Regiment's Foundation raises up to $1.5 million annually through donations and special events. This support keeps the combat units in good shape. But it is still not enough to provide a good level of technical assistance. Today's war is a war of technologies. So there are a lot of needs that are still open and unmet - different types of drones and consumables, computers and software for them, vision devices, EW systems, etc.

Respect from the Ukrainian people: streets in honour of Belarusians and awards from Zelensky

The merits of Belarusian soldiers inevitably change the attitude of the Belarusian people towards the country's goals. Thus, during the war in Ukraine, a number of laws were passed to honour Belarusians who sided with Ukraine.

A number of soldiers were awarded state awards of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. A number of people were awarded the "For Courage" award of the III degree by the President of Ukraine, Uladzimir Zelensky.

Streets in Ukrainian cities are now named after Belarusians. In the village of Vorzel in the Buchansk district, Ilya "Litvin" Street was created, and in the Khmelnytsky district, Alyakssey Skobly Street and a lane were named after him. In Kyiv and Mukachevo, streets are now named after the honoree, Kastus Kalinowski. In Zhytomyr, Palka Street was named after Kastus Kalinowski. Streets in Zhvyagel and Charnavtsi were renamed in honour of Mikhail Zhyznevsky.

The regiment of Kalinouski is the core of the new Belarusian army.

Over the past two years, several thousand Belarusians have gone on to study, serve and perform. These patriotic people can lead special forces groups in the cities of Belarus in due course. Without the support of the broad masses, the Lukashenka regime will not fall. But someone will have to organise and lead these masses. Tomorrow, Kalinouski's soldiers of today will be able to become commanders, administrators and lawyers in their homeland. Moreover, the people of regiment are the future instructors, the core of the new Belarusian army.