Belarus says there is a high chance of armed provocation from Ukraine

16/8/2024 18:31

        Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said on Friday there was a high probability of an armed provocation from neighbouring Ukraine and that the situation at their shared border "remains tense", the state-run Belta news agency reported.
        
        Khrenin's comments came more than a week after Ukraine sent thousands of troops across Russia's western border in a surprise incursion.
        
        According to Belta, Khrenin said, "Given the presence of Ukrainian armed formations in the border areas, there is a high probability of preparing and carrying out armed provocations on our territory, as well as high-profile actions, including with the involvement of Belarusian nationalist formations."
        
        Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has positioned himself as a main backer of Vladimir Putin since the Russian president ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, part of which was staged from Belarusian soil.