Russia's Moves in Belarus Keep Ukraine on Alert

Russia's activities in Belarus are keeping Ukraine on high alert, as equipment belonging to the Russian armed forces has been transported regularly in recent weeks to the country whose leader is a close ally of President Vladimir Putin.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry has confirmed multiple times in the last month that military equipment from Russia has arrived in Belarus, sparking speculation that Putin could lobby his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko to join the conflict. Belarus borders both Russia and Ukraine.

While Belarus, a loyal Kremlin ally, has not directly joined the Ukraine conflict, Russian troops have been allowed to exercise on Belarusian territory since before the beginning of the war, and the country was used by Russia to launch its invasion on Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

On Monday, the press service of the Belarusian Defense Ministry announced that joint Russian-Belarusian air defense forces had been reinforced, while new missile units moved into position.

"Anti-aircraft missile units advanced to designated areas and took up combat duty," the ministry said in a statement on Telegram.

Earlier, Lukashenko said the regional grouping of troops had been strengthened due to "the aggravation of the situation on the western borders of the Union State (of Russia and Belarus)," and that personnel, weapons, military and special equipment of the Russian armed forces would continue to arrive in Belarus.

The two nations on Sunday also extended joint military drills amid fears that Minsk is being pressured to join the war.

According to state-run news agency RIA Novosti, Russia will move an additional 170 tanks, up to 200 armored fighting vehicles and up to 100 guns and mortars with a caliber of more than 100 millimeters to Belarus.

According to the Belarusian Defense Ministry, up to 9,000 Russian troops will join the Belarusian forces on the Belarus-Ukraine border.

Meanwhile, videos circulating online suggest that Ukrainian soldiers are reinforcing the country's border with Belarus.

A clip, shared on Twitter on Monday by Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, appears to show a Ukrainian soldier being questioned about a possible attack from Belarus.

"Ukrainian Defenders guarding the border with Belarus tell how much Belarus troops will be able to advance in case they attack," Gerashchenko tweeted. "'One or two meters below ground!', they estimate."

The British Defense Ministry said in its latest update on the war that the latest deployment of Russian aircraft to Belarus is "likely a genuine exercise" rather than preparation for further offensive operations against Ukraine.

The ministry said that although Russia has maintained a "large number of forces" in Belarus, they were largely involved in training.

"They are unlikely to constitute a credible offensive force," the report said.

Newsweek has contacted the foreign ministries of Belarus and Russia for comment.

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