MOSCOW — Belarus held a shock inspection of its armed forces on Tuesday, the protection ministry mentioned, after repeated warnings from Ukraine of a risk from its Moscow-aligned northern neighbor.
“A snap check of combat readiness has begun,” the ministry mentioned, including it was ordered by Belarusian chief Alexander Lukashenko.
Troops must get to “designated areas” as quick as attainable, the ministry mentioned.
They would goal “to organize security and defense and build bridge crossings across the Neman and Berezina rivers.”
The Neman river runs in central Belarus and alongside the Polish border. The Berezina flows east of the capital Minsk.
The protection ministry mentioned it deliberate to maneuver army gear and personnel, which might “temporarily restrict the movement of citizens… along certain public roads and terrain.”
Ukraine mentioned it might intently monitor the drills.
“The Ukrainian defense forces are monitoring this situation in order to understand the extent to which it may pose a threat to our country,” Ukraine’s border guard spokesman Andriy Demchenko instructed reporters.
“Such actions as joint exercises, the deployment of a regional grouping of troops, checks of combat readiness show that Belarus actively cooperates with Russia and acts according to their joint plan,” Demchenko mentioned.
Lukashenko, who has been in energy since 1994, is a long-time Kremlin ally.
Russian troops crossed into Ukraine from a number of instructions on February 24, together with from Belarusian territory.
Before launching the offensive, Moscow held army workout routines in Belarus.
Kyiv has since bolstered its protection on its northern border with Belarus and Russia.
Lukashenko has repeatedly mentioned he doesn’t plan to ship Belarusian troops to Ukraine. — Agence France-Presse
