Kiev is uneasy following Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s announcement last week that his nation and Russia will create a unified force and hold joint drills.
Russian Forces entered Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, during the recent joint exercises between Russia and Belarus in February, which took place across the border in Belarus.
The issue for Ukraine is not Belarus’ army, but rather the country’s very long northern border with Belarus, which might be where Russia sends more troops in, causing chaos for an already-destroyed military. Ukrainian conflict The 1,000 km-long border between Belarus and Ukraine is mostly populated or covered in thick forests.
According to the Belarusian Defense Ministry, the first contingent of Russian soldiers to join the combined forces arrived in Belarus on October 15. According to Belarus, less than 9,000 Russians will be sent to join the combined force.
While attempting to restrain the Russian forces in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian forces are currently launching a counteroffensive in the east and south. The need to send soldiers to safeguard the eastern flank will spread the force thin across several fronts as Ukraine has lost a substantial amount of forces after seven months of fighting.
Viktor Khrenin, the defence minister of Belarus, claimed that the joint force’s sole purpose is defence and that “all activities being carried out at this time are in response to the circumstances along the border.”
Those activities, according to Belarus, were undertaken to stop Ukraine from attacking Belarus. The administration “has been warned about attacks from Ukraine into Belarus,” Mr. Lukashenko stated last week.
Vladimir Makei, the foreign minister of Belarus, later declared that a counterterrorism operation was in progress “in light of reports of potential provocations by neighbouring governments.”
Ukraine disputes those charges. Volodymir Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, requested that the UN sent peacekeepers to the nation’s borders when speaking at the G7 summit last week.
Zelensky thinks that Russia is attempting to directly ensnare Belarus in the conflict.
Videos posted to social media show trains travelling across Belarus while hauling tanks and other vehicles.
According to Western observers, the vehicles are Russian-owned and are being taken out of storage facilities in Belarus to make up for harm done on the Ukrainian battlefield.
Analysts believe that there is less likelihood that Belarus is getting ready to intervene.
According to John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, Belarusian military have not shown any signs of being “prepared or about to participate” in the fight.
Analysts believe that there is less likelihood that Belarus is getting ready to intervene.
According to John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, Belarusian military have not shown any signs of being “prepared or about to participate” in the fight.
President Lukashenko has made some forceful statements, but he has not yet indicated that he will send troops to take part in Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. According to most analysts, if Belarus implements it, there won’t be much of a change.
Analysts contend that Russia may wish to scare Kiev over its northern border.
In addition to 12 S-400 air defence systems, Ukraine claims that Russia possesses four ballistic missile systems in Belarus. It’s also been reported that many drones built in Iran have recently entered Ukraine from the north. The Belarusian Defense Ministry announced that additional Russian warplanes had been delivered to Belarus.
Currently, according to Ukrainian officials, there are fewer than 1,000 Russian troops in Belarus, but their numbers are fast increasing, which could result in another offensive campaign from the north of Ukraine that targets the capital.
