Kyiv: Kyiv has accused Belarus of amassing personnel and weaponry near Ukraine’s northern border under the pretense of military exercises, according to a report by Kyiv Independent on Saturday. Citing intelligence sources, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry claims that Belarus is concentrating Special Operation Forces and significant military equipment, including tanks, artillery, multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS), air defense systems, and engineering equipment, near the city of Gomel, approximately 30 kilometers from the border.
The ministry also noted the presence of former Wagner PMC troops in the area, adding to the growing tension along the border. Earlier this summer, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that one-third of Belarus’s army had been stationed near the Ukrainian border, citing a ‘misunderstanding’ between the two nations as the cause for the buildup.
Belarusian Air Defense Forces Commander, Maj. Gen. Andrey Lukyanovich, confirmed earlier this week that additional air defense troops and aircraft had been deployed to the border with Ukraine.
In response, Kyiv issued a stern warning to Minsk, urging them not to succumb to Moscow’s pressure. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry emphasized that any violation of Ukraine’s state border by Belarus would be met with all necessary measures, as Ukraine exercises its right to self-defense under the UN Charter.
“We warn that in case of a violation of Ukraine’s state border by Belarus, our state will take all necessary measures to exercise the right to self-defense guaranteed by the UN Charter,” the ministry stated. They further declared that any troop concentrations, military facilities, or supply routes in Belarus would become legitimate targets for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Additionally, Ukraine voiced concerns about Belarusian troops conducting exercises near the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, warning that such activities posed a threat to both Ukraine’s national security and global stability.
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Despite its close alliance with Russia, Belarusian forces have not directly participated in the invasion of Ukraine. However, Belarus continues to host Russian troops and missiles on its territory.
Meanwhile, within Russian territory, a Ukrainian strike overnight in Belgorod left five dead and 13 wounded, including three minors, according to Russian officials. Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov shared the details of the attack on Telegram, which targeted the settlement of Rakitnoye.
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This incident comes amid Kyiv’s increased strikes inside Russia, following a surprise Ukrainian ground offensive into Russia’s Kursk region two weeks ago.
In another development in eastern Ukraine, the governor of Donetsk, Vadym Filashkin, reported that a Russian overnight strike hit a hotel in Kramatorsk, wounding two journalists—one British and one American—and leaving a third, a Ukrainian national, missing. A search operation is currently underway.
