Viktar Khrenin, Belarus’ defence minister, held a videoconference with military commissars to implement instructions from Aliaksandr Lukashenka on drafting underperforming employees of agricultural organisations into military service. Lukashenka has argued that such a measure would improve discipline during the 2026 harvest campaign.
According to the Defence Ministry’s press service, the ministry is still “working with local executive authorities to determine the procedures for calling up for military service (or training) employees and managers of agricultural enterprises who failed to fulfil their duties during the 2026 harvest campaign.”
The results of this work are to be reported to Lukashenka.
Khrenin thanked his subordinates for visiting agricultural enterprises across Belarus.
“The coverage of the farms where this work was carried out was one hundred percent. Like our agricultural workers, we understand that the main task is harvesting the crop,” Khrenin said.
The ministry’s press service also said that he instructed military commissars to “continue cooperation with organisations in the agricultural sector, including public information work on issues of concern to the population, until the harvest campaign is completed.”
