Lukashenko And The “Corridor Hawk”
- 28.09.2026, 14:40
What kind of dictatorship, such generals.
On Monday, Lukashenko appointed General Muraveyko as deputy head of his administration. Some generals are combat generals, others are armchair generals, but this Belarusian figure is a true “corridor general.” That’s because the former chief of the General Staff made a name for himself by cutting a corridor through Lithuania, maneuvering in the Suwalki Corridor area, and threatening neighbors with a nuclear bomb. In short, he fought NATO as best he could. Admittedly, only virtually.
An Alternative for Lukashenko
Lukashenko himself explained that the main purpose of the appointment is not to strengthen the security forces’ positions. According to him, the main purpose is to strengthen control over the security forces.
“The fact that this component—the security sector and the direction of our country—is being strengthened is natural. Because we see what is happening around our country. It is… important for me to have several—if you will—alternative perspectives on the situation within our security forces,” Lukashenko said.
Therefore, Lukashenko immediately clarified that Muraveiko owes his new appointment to none of his former colleagues. According to Lukashenko, the appointment was his personal initiative. Even for the Security Council, this appointment came as a surprise.
“So feel free to ignore everyone,” said Lukashenko.
The new deputy head of the administration promised to live up to expectations. He said he would provide an alternative point of view. However, there is a caveat.
“This doesn’t mean it will differ from the views of representatives of the security apparatus,” said Muraveiko.
Our Hawk
In other words, his former colleagues can rest easy. They face no threat from the new deputy head of the administration. Although, in general, the new deputy head of the administration is an eagle. At times, even a hawk. You’d be hard-pressed to find such hawks among Belarusian generals.
General Muraveiko gained widespread international recognition in 2023 when he promised to force a corridor through Lithuania using Belarusian military force. True, he has so far promised to refrain from cutting through the corridor. Otherwise, “certain forces in the West” might misunderstand.
Some understood everything correctly. Lithuania issued an official note of protest. But General Muraveiko did not lose his desire for such corridors after that. In the fall of 2025 and again in 2026, General Muraveiko commanded military exercises in the Suwalki Corridor area. At the same time, he explained that he was not considering any “offensive actions.” Instead, he boasted that he had learned how to handle a nuclear bomb and, if necessary, was ready to use it.
“We are capable of doing this. And you can rest assured: we will do it if the sovereignty and independence of our country are threatened,” Muraveyko said in 2024.
True, lately the Belarusian hawk has become less belligerent than before. He doesn’t prowl through other countries’ corridors or threaten them with a nuclear bomb. Instead of a global restructuring of the world, he has focused on the needs of Belarus’s territorial defense.
So he’ll be right at home in Lukashenko’s administration. Because a country’s hawks are a reflection of the country itself. There’s nowhere else to find others anyway.
Andrei Bronishevsky, planbmedia.io