Dec 7, 2012 (Reuters) – Belarus will move its military equipment and troops on Wednesday and Thursday as part of a counterterrorism exercise. This is the latest of a series of military operations that has raised concerns about Russia’s potential attack on Ukraine.
According to the Belarusian Security Council, “During the period it is planned that military equipment and personnel will be moved.”
“The use of imitation guns for training purposes and restraint of citizen transport along public roads will be implemented.”
It was not clear which areas would be affected and what the format of the exercise would look like.
Belarus says it won’t enter war with Ukraine. However, President Alexander Lukashenko ordered soldiers to be deployed near Ukraine’s border in the past, in response to threats from Kyiv or the West.
Belarus and Russia were formally part of the “union state”, and they are close allies economically and militarily. Russia used Belarus to stage its unsuccessful attack on Kyiv that began on February 24th.
Lukashenko has been a staunch opponent of Russian military deployments to Belarus for years. However, his dependency on Moscow has grown since the Russians helped to quell a pro-democracy wave that erupted after the 2020 disputed elections.
Lukaschenko, in October, announced that Russia would send 9,000 soldiers to Belarus under a new military alliance.
Belarus has proposed to raise defense spending more than 50% in its 2023 budget.
Ukraine warns for months about the possibility that Russia and Belarus could plan a new invasion at its northern frontier.
The General Staff of Ukraine stated Wednesday that enemy units are being trained in Belarus, and that Russian attack continued from Belarusian territory.
Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Defense Minister, met with Viktor Khrenin (his Belarusian counterpart) last week to discuss military cooperation.
