Fighting has intensified following a major Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region earlier this month. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has reported that Ukraine has stationed over 120,000 troops along its border with Belarus. In response, Lukashenko claimed that Minsk has deployed nearly a third of its armed forces along the entire border, according to Belarus’s state news agency, BelTA.
Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, asserted that Belarusian forces have been strategically positioned to defend against potential aggression. He indicated that the Ukrainian deployment poses a significant threat, and he has made stern warnings to Ukrainian officials, as reported by Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari.
Belarus’s military presence is significant, though exact numbers were not detailed. The Belarusian armed forces include around 48,000 professional soldiers and approximately 12,000 state border personnel, based on The Military Balance 2022 assessment.
The heightened tensions follow a Ukrainian assault on August 6, when Ukrainian forces breached the western border into Russia’s Kursk region, leading to a series of disruptive attacks. Ukrainian troops struck a bridge in Kursk on Sunday, aiming to impede Russian military operations. Additionally, Ukrainian drones targeted an oil storage facility in Russia’s Rostov region, causing a large fire.
In response to these incidents, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported shooting down five Ukrainian drones, including two over the Rostov region. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces intercepted a Russian missile attack on Kyiv, with air raid sirens sounding early Sunday morning. The Kyiv City Military Administration noted that this attack marked the third ballistic missile strike on the capital in August.
North Korea condemned Ukraine’s actions as terrorism and expressed support for Russia, criticizing Western policies as pushing the world towards global conflict. The United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), also expressed concern over deteriorating safety conditions at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, following a nearby drone strike.
The situation remains tense as both sides continue their military actions and diplomatic exchanges.
