Belarus Fortifies Border Amid Claims of Ukrainian Aggression

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has again accused Ukraine of engaging in provocations using drones and announced the ongoing fortification of the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. He emphasized that the border is now heavily mined, describing it as being fortified "like never before." Lukashenko made these remarks during an interview with the Russia 1 TV channel, where he also claimed that Kyiv has positioned 120,000 troops along the border, prompting Belarus to station its own forces in response.

In response to the perceived threat, Lukashenko stated that Belarus has deployed nearly a third of its armed forces along the entire common border with Ukraine. However, he did not provide specific numbers regarding troop deployments. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies' 2022 military balance sheet, the professional Belarusian army consists of approximately 48,000 soldiers, with an additional 12,000 personnel in the state's border forces.

Belarusian officials have reported incidents involving drones on August 9, which they believe originated from Ukraine. Minsk claims that some drones were shot down over Belarusian territory, while others were destroyed over Russian territory. In light of these incidents, Belarusian forces have been reinforced in the Gomel and Mazyr regions, located in the southern part of Belarus along the Ukrainian border.

The situation along the border remains tense, according to Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin, who warned of a high likelihood of armed provocations from Ukraine. Despite these assertions, Ukrainian officials have not yet responded to Belarus' latest claims. On the other hand, Kyiv recently indicated that there are no signs of Belarusian troops massing along the...