People who perform poorly in agriculture, especially during the harvest season, and fail to observe labor discipline should be conscripted into the army to help guard the border with Ukraine.

Axar.az reports, citing Belarusian media, that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko made the remarks during a meeting on agricultural issues.

"At a time when we are facing a labor shortage, why should we put them in handcuffs? Tell Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin to carry out my order: anyone who doesn't know how to work should be sent to the army and to the southern border. Into the forests. Our Special Operations Forces, on my orders, are already deployed along the Ukrainian border," he said.