Belarus Deploys Troops Amid Tensions with Ukraine

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced the deployment of nearly a third of Belarus' armed forces along its border with Ukraine, following reports of over 120,000 Ukrainian troops stationed nearby. Tensions escalate as both sides prepare for potential conflict, although Kyiv has not confirmed the buildup.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated on Sunday that Ukraine had positioned over 120,000 troops at its border with Belarus, leading Minsk to deploy almost a third of its armed forces along the entire border, as reported by the Belta state news agency.

Lukashenko did not specify the exact number of troops deployed. Belarus' professional army comprises roughly 48,000 troops and about 12,000 state border troops, according to the 2022 International Institute for Strategic Studies' Military Balance. 'Observing their aggressive policy, we have strategically placed our military along the entire border as a defense mechanism in case of war,' Lukashenko said in an interview with Russian state television, according to Belta.

Kyiv did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. On Saturday, Kyiv indicated no signs of a Belarusian troop buildup at the border. The Belarusian leader, a steadfast ally of Vladimir Putin, spoke in the context of a Ukrainian incursion into Russia starting on Aug. 6, marked by Kyiv's troops breaking through Russia's western border, causing a significant embarrassment for Putin's top military officials.

Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin stated on Friday that there was a high probability of an armed provocation from Ukraine and that the border situation 'remains tense.' Lukashenko added that the Belarusian-Ukrainian border is more heavily mined than ever before and warned that Ukrainian troops would suffer massive losses if they attempted to cross it.