Belarus Military Exercises Pose No Threat to Ukraine

Military drills in Belarus, running until January 31, do not threaten Ukraine due to insufficient Russian troop presence in the country, according to Ukrainian State Border Guard Service spokesman Andriy Demchenko. His statement comes amid heightened regional tensions, though the situation remains under control.

During a briefing, Demchenko addressed concerns regarding the Belarusian exercises, stating, “The exercises that have been announced and are scheduled to last until the end of January do not pose a threat to us. At the moment, there are no Russian troops, no strike group in sufficient numbers, on the territory of Belarus, because the terrorist country has been gradually bringing them back to its territory as part of the rotation. That is why it is Belarus that continues to escalate the situation, playing along with Russia.”

Belarusian authorities have confirmed that the drills involve territorial troops and engineering units, focusing on training and operational tasks from January 8 to January 31. While Belarus has routinely hosted similar exercises near the Ukrainian border, Demchenko assured that the Ukrainian Defence Ministry and border guards are closely monitoring the situation.

Demchenko also noted that such exercises are a regular occurrence in Belarus and reiterated that the rotation of Russian forces out of Belarusian territory further reduces any potential threat.