The Belarusian military is deploying tank units to the Ukrainian border, the country's Defense Ministry has announced. The move comes after Minsk – Moscow’s main ally in the region – claimed to have shot down several Ukrainian drones that it said violated its airspace.
In a statement on Sunday, the ministry said that parts of its mechanized forces had been placed on alert, and that preparations were being made to send tanks and other vehicles by rail to Gomel and Mozyr Regions on Ukraine’s border.
Officials also released a video showing several Soviet-era main battle tanks driving onto rail platforms. It is not yet clear the extent to which Belarus’ border contingent is being reinforced, or when the new forces will arrive to the deployment areas.
The redeployment comes after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said the military had destroyed several Ukrainian drones that violated the country’s airspace in the southern part of the country. He added that some of the drones managed to enter Russian territory, and that they had been taken down near Yaroslavl, around 300km northeast of Moscow.
Amid rising tensions between Ukraine and Belarus, Lukashenko ordered the military presence on the Ukrainian border to be ramped up. Officials in Kiev have suggested that the buildup is an attempt to divert Ukraine’s attention and help Russia deal with the incursion in Kursk Region, while noting that they have not seen increased military activity on the border.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry warned Kiev that it reserves the right to take any measures necessary to protect its territory if the drone “provocations” continue. It also said that Minsk could consider shutting down the Ukrainian embassy in the country if these incidents are repeated.