Belarus amasses troops near Ukraine, ex‑Wagner members spotted

According to information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Belarus is amassing military equipment near the border with Ukraine. Former members of the Wagner Group are also said to be arriving there. These actions are being conducted under the pretense of exercises. Ukraine urges Minsk not to make a "not to make tragic for its own country mistakes under Moscow’s pressure."

According to information from the Ukrainian MFA, Belarus is gathering military equipment in the Homel region in the southeastern part of the country. Among the soldiers, former members of the Wagner Group, some of whom arrived in Belarus after the group's dissolution, have also been seen.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that the Belarusian military's actions merely pretend to be exercises, but their goal is entirely different. The Belarusian Armed Forces are concentrating a "significant number of personnel, including Special Operations Forces, weapons, and military equipment, including tanks, artillery, MLRS, air defence systems, and engineering equipment, in the Gomel region near Ukraine's northern border under the guise of exercises."

According to Kyiv, such actions threaten national and global security. The Ukrainians point out that the Chernobyl power plant is located nearby, although it is no longer operational and is currently being decommissioned.

We warn Belarusian officials not to make tragic mistakes for their country under Moscow's pressure, and we urge its armed forces to cease unfriendly actions and withdraw forces away from Ukraine's state border to a distance greater than the firing range of Belarus' systems - says the Ukrainian MFA.

The Ukrainians remind that they have no intention of conducting hostile actions against the Belarusian people. Kyiv announced an immediate response in case of border violations. Let us recall that a few days ago, Alexander Lukashenko announced the redeployment of some Belarusian troops to the border with Ukraine. He claimed that Ukraine is also amassing significant forces in the region.

Belarus's amassing of armed forces near the border with Ukraine seems related to the successes of the Ukrainian army in the Kursk region. Under pressure from Putin, Lukashenko is shifting his troops to pretend a possible opening of another front continuously. This is intended to divert part of the forces commanded by Kyiv to the border with Belarus.