Belarusian leader claims massive Ukrainian troop deployment at border
On Sunday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko alleged that Ukraine has stationed over 120,000 troops at its border with Belarus. According to the Belta state news agency, Lukashenko stated that Belarus has deployed nearly a third of its armed forces along the entire border in response to what he described as Ukrainian aggression.
Lukashenko did not specify the exact number of Belarusian troops deployed. As per the 2022 Military Balance report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Belarus’ professional army comprises about 48,000 troops, with an additional 12,000 state border troops.
In an interview with Russian state television, Lukashenko emphasized that the Belarusian military has been strategically positioned to defend the border if necessary. “Seeing their aggressive policy, we have introduced and placed our military at certain points along the entire border,” he said.
However, on Saturday, Ukrainian officials reported no signs of increased Belarusian military activity at the border.
Lukashenko’s statements come in the wake of a significant Ukrainian military operation that began on August 6, when Ukrainian forces breached Russia’s western border, causing a major setback for Russian military leadership.
Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin had previously warned of a high probability of an armed provocation from Ukraine, describing the situation at the border as “tense.” Lukashenko further claimed that the Belarusian-Ukrainian border is now heavily mined and warned that Ukrainian forces would face severe losses if they attempted to cross.
