Belarus engaging in activities on the border aimed at “defending” itself against Ukrainians and NATO - media

Valentyna Romanenko - Monday, 16 May 2022, 22:00

Belarusian military personnel intensified their activities on the border between Belarus and Ukraine: these actions are aimed at "protection from Ukrainians and NATO troops," according to the leadership of the Belarusian Armed Forces.

Source: Radio Svaboda (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Details: Residents of Gomel region spotted parapets and checkpoints near the border.

According to one of the local residents, parapets and armoured personnel carriers have been placed on the Gomel-Chernihiv main road two kilometres away from the border with Ukraine. Dump trucks delivered the sand for the construction.

Checkpoints and concrete blocks have been installed in the area, so that drivers can only pass by weaving among them. Everyone who is heading towards Belarusian border villages are subject to document checks. The traffic police are conducting inspections. The military personnel not only checked the documents of a man who was driving towards Gomel, but also inspected the trunk of his car.

A resident of Loyevskyi district said that until recently, tanks were disguised and stationed in several places near the villages: they had been "entrenched." "Now they are gone - they cleaned up and left," he said.

The mother of one of the soldiers who served in the Slonim mechanised brigade and had spent over a month on the border with Ukraine in the Brahin district, told "Svaboda" that the soldier had returned to Slonim.

"Special Operations Forces arrived to replace them," said the soldier's mother.

Meanwhile, the First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces, Igor Korol, told a state television audience about possible threats from Ukraine and NATO countries.

He did not rule out "provocations at the border."

"A strike group of cruise missiles has been set up in the Mediterranean and the Baltics. Unfortunately, cruise missiles are not defence weapons, these are weapons primarily for attack. The range of these missiles allows them to fire on our country," said the Belarusian Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces.

He talked about battalion tactical groups at the border, adding that "this has never happened before."

"They are stationed on proving grounds near our borders, they are fully prepared, staffed, have supplies and are ready to act as intended," Igor Korol said.

He said that "American counter-battery stations" had been deployed near Ovruch at the border, and that "Ukraine had concentrated about 10,000 troops against the Republic of Belarus" near Rivne. "Everyone is armed, everyone has military weapons, so there may be some provocations," said the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces.