Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko has ordered a joint “regional grouping of troops” with Russia, prompting concerns about further escalation in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Monday announced the formation of a joint unit of Belarusian forces with the Russian army.
Lukashenko said the move was due to growing tensions on Belarus’s border with Ukraine, saying it was necessary to bolster security.
The announcement came amid a barrage of Russian missile strikes in several Ukrainian cities, which killed at least 11 people and wounded more than 60 others.
There are fears that Belarus may be preparing a preventative strike on Ukraine in response to the formation of the unified force.
Belarus admitted Russian troops into the nation under the guise of military drills before Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. The nation served as a staging area for Moscow’s invasion of northern Ukraine. Belarus is politically and financially dependent on Russia, which is also its biggest ally.
There are no signs that Ukraine is getting ready to launch an attack on its northern neighbor.
There are about 60,000 soldiers in the Belarusian army. Earlier this year, Minsk sent six battalion-sized tactical groups, totaling several thousand personnel, to the border regions. On Sunday, the commander of Belarus’ border guards accused Ukraine of inciting unrest along the border.
