Belarus Raises Alarm, Predicts Ukrainian Attacks; Kiev Deniestrying to avoid new tensions in the complex framework of the war with Russia. President Alexander Lukashenko’s Belarus is the main ally of Vladimir Putin’s Russia: Minsk has welcomed nuclear weapons deployed by Moscow and is involved in exercises conducted by the Russians. Especially in the first phase of the war, triggered by the invasion ordered by Putin in February 2022, Ukraine turned the spotlight on the northern border fearing massive actions from Belarus.
Now, Minsk has announced that it has strengthened its air defense on the border with Ukraine “to protect critical infrastructure”, denouncing the increase in the activity of Kiev’s drones in the area and the movement of Ukrainian military forces and equipment to the Zhyomyr region. The commander of the Belarusian air force, Andrei Severinchik, recalled that in recent daysBelarusian military forces shot down a Ukrainian drone that had flown over the border “to gather intelligence on target sites.”
The deputy head for ideology at the Special Operations Command of the Belarusian Forces, Vadim Lukashevich, cited the massing of military forces, weapons and military equipment “along our border”, in particular manufacturing infantry fighting vehicles USA, grenade launchers and heavy artillery systems.
The Belarusian alarm, in reality, appears unfounded judging from the position reiterated by Ukraine. Kiev actually admits that it wanted to strengthen its defense lines, while rejecting Minsk’s accusations: “There is no provocation, they must have been confused,” said Andriy Demchenko, spokesman for the Border Guard. “The real threat comes from Belarus. There are enough Russian forces deployed there,” stressed Andriy Kovalenko, director of the National Security Council’s anti-disinformation center.
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