Lukashenko wants to expand army's powers to suppress protests – foreign intelligence

In Belarus, the authorities have initiated a bill that would expand the powers of the army. In this way, the dictator of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is preparing to suppress protests and tighten control over society. This was reported by Foreign Intelligence Service.

According to intelligence, the draft law "On Amendments to the Laws on Military Security and Defense" radically changes approaches to security. If the document is adopted, the Belarusian army will receive broader powers, including domestic actions.

The central emphasis is on the power component. While previously defense was defined as a set of political, legal, and socioeconomic measures, now the priority is armed defense.

According to the update, the army in times of war should not only repel aggression, but also "defeat the enemy" in order to conclude peace on terms that meet national interests.

The NSD drew attention to the expansion of the army's functions in peacetime. The military is officially involved in preventing internal armed conflict, participating in information confrontation "in the interests of the state," responding to domestic crises and crises in allied countries, and countering border provocations.

In addition, a broader interpretation of the grounds for declaring martial law is introduced: now it is possible not only in the event of an attack on Belarus, but also on a Union State or a member state of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan).

• On July 28, the Foreign Intelligence Service reported that in the first half of 2025, the Belarusian economy showed signs of stagnation amid deepening integration with Russia and restrictions from Western sanctions.
• On July 29, intelligence reported that Belarus is accelerating production of drones and microchips for the Russian army.