On Monday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he had deployed troops alongside Russian forces near the Ukrainian border to the north, allegedly in self defense.
“Strikes on the territory of Belarus are not just being discussed in Ukraine today, but are also being planned. Their owners are pushing them to start a war against Belarus to drag us there.”
– Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus
Lukashenko claim he received a warning through unofficial channels that Ukraine planned a “Crimean Bridge 2,” referring to the recent sabotage of the Kerch Bridge in Crimea.
The deployment of a combined Russian-Belarus joint force in the north of Ukraine, could further escalate the war and open up a new front.
The Belarusian army consists of about 60,000 people.
