SBGS on situation at border with Belarus: Invasion cannot be ruled out
At present, there is no buildup of forces in Belarus directly along the border with Ukraine; however, developments within Belarus are cause for concern.
This was reported by Andrii Demchenko, a spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service, according to Censor.NET, citing Radio Liberty.
Details
The spokesperson noted that since 2022, Belarus has maintained a small number of its units along the border with Ukraine—they are rotated periodically, but their numbers have not increased.
"At the same time, according to intelligence reports, developments deep within the country’s territory now indicate that Russia has begun to exert greater pressure on Belarus to join the war against Ukraine on a larger scale and using its own forces. This means that provocations along our border are possible in the future. An invasion cannot be ruled out either," Demchenko explained.
Russia does not have strike groups in Belarus, but at any moment it can transfer them to Belarusian territory and use the infrastructure facilities that Belarus is building.
What preceded it?
- As a reminder, in April, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that roads were being built toward Ukrainian territory and artillery positions were being established along the border with Belarus. And in early May, the head of state spoke of "specific activity" on the part of Belarus near the Ukrainian border.
- On May 18, Belarus began military exercises involving the combat use of nuclear weapons.
- On May 21, the SSU reported enhanced security measures in five northern regions of Ukraine bordering Russia and Belarus.
