Belarusian forces and former Wagner Group personnel gather near Belarusian-Ukrainian border
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has said that a large number of Belarusian Armed Forces military personnel and equipment have gathered near the Belarusian-Ukrainian border under the pretext of military exercises. Former members of Russia’s Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) have also been spotted in the same area. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has urged Belarus to avoid making a tragic mistake under Moscow’s pressure.
Source: statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
Quote from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine: "According to Ukrainian intelligence agencies, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus are gathering a large number of military personnel, in particular Special Operations Forces, as well as weapons and military equipment, including tanks, artillery, multiple-launch rocket systems, air defence systems, and combat engineering equipment, near Ukraine’s northern border in Gomel Oblast, under the pretext of military training. Mercenaries who formerly served in the Wagner PMC have also been spotted there.
Military exercises in the border area and in the vicinity of a nuclear facility, the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, is a threat to Ukraine’s national security, as well as global security.
We urge Belarusian officials to avoid mistakes that would have tragic effects for their own country under Moscow’s pressure, and [we urge Belarusian] armed forces to stop unfriendly manoeuvres and transfer the forces away from Ukraine’s state border to a distance exceeding the range of the Belarusian weapon systems."
Details: The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stressed that Ukraine has never taken and is not going to take any unfriendly actions against the Belarusian people.
"We warn [Belarus] that in the event of a violation of the Ukrainian border by Belarus our country will take all necessary measures to exercise the right to self-defence guaranteed by the UN Charter. In this event, every group of troops, military facility, and military supply route in Belarus will be legitimate targets for the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the ministry stated.
Background:
- On 18 August, Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, stated that his country has sent about a third of its army to the Ukrainian border due to the presence of more than 120,000 Ukrainian soldiers there.
- On 15 August, Lukashenko said in an interview that Russia will send its troops to Belarus to provide military support in case of aggression against Minsk.
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