Lukashenko Claims Ukraine Massing Troops at Belarus Border, Minsk Responds with Military Build-Up

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has claimed that Ukraine has stationed over 120,000 troops along its border with Belarus, prompting Minsk to deploy nearly a third of its armed forces along the entire border. The Belta state news agency reported Lukashenko’s remarks on Sunday, although he did not specify the exact number of Belarusian troops involved. According to the 2022 International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Military Balance, Belarus’ professional army consists of approximately 48,000 troops, along with around 12,000 state border troops.

Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, described the troop deployment as a defensive measure in response to what he perceives as Ukraine’s aggressive posture. “Seeing their aggressive policy, we have introduced there and placed in certain points – in case of war, they would be defense – our military along the entire border,” Lukashenko said in an interview with Russian state television, as cited by Belta.

Despite Lukashenko’s claims, Ukrainian authorities have stated they have observed no significant build-up of Belarusian forces at the border. The situation arises in the context of heightened tensions following a Ukrainian incursion into Russia on August 6, where thousands of Ukrainian troops reportedly breached Russia’s western border, causing significant embarrassment for Russia’s military leadership.

Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin added to the growing tension, stating on Friday that there was a high probability of an armed provocation from Ukraine and that the situation at the shared border “remains tense.” Lukashenko also noted that the Belarusian-Ukrainian border is now heavily mined and warned that any Ukrainian attempt to cross it would result in substantial losses.

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