Belarus Stations Troops, Aircraft at Ukraine Border Following Lukashenko’s Orders

Belarus has stationed aviation and air defense troops along its border with Ukraine, just a day after the country's self-proclaimed president, Alexander Lukashenko, announced plans to deploy nearly a third of the military to the area, according to the Associated Press.

Major General Andrei Lukyanovich, the commander of Belarus' air defense forces, confirmed the deployment of anti-aircraft missiles and radio engineering corps soldiers near the border. He described the move as a "significant reinforcement" of the military presence.

Lukashenko had announced on August 18 that he ordered the repositioning of nearly a third of the army to the Ukrainian border. While he did not specify the exact number of troops involved, it is noted that the Belarusian army comprises around 60,000 personnel.

Lukashenko claimed that this action was in response to the increased deployment of Ukrainian troops along the border, though the Associated Press pointed out that this information could not be independently verified.

Ukraine has not confirmed the presence of Belarusian troops along their shared 1,084-kilometer border.

The AP also highlighted that Belarus, heavily reliant on Russian loans and cheap energy, was used by Russia as a launchpad for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Russian troops crossing Belarusian territory to attack Ukraine from the north. Additionally, in 2023, Russia transferred some of its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.

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On August 18, Lukashenko also called for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine but criticized Ukraine's operations in Russia's Kursk region, labeling them as provocations against Moscow.