UK Ministry of Defence: Belarus Using Troops to Keep Ukrainian Forces Tied up in East

LONDON – British military authorities say the presence of Belarusian forces on the border may force Ukrainian troops to stay in the area instead of going to support operations in the eastern Donbas region.

Belarus, a close ally of Russia, said last week that it planned to send special operations troops to three areas near the Ukrainian border as it complained about the buildup of NATO troops in the region. The U.K. Ministry of Defense, in an intelligence briefing released Monday, said Belarus has also deployed air defense forces, artillery and missile units to training sites in western Belarus.

The ministry says Belarusian forces haven´t been directly involved in the invasion of Ukraine, though Belarus was used as a staging area for Russian attacks on the cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv. Russia has also launched aircraft and missiles from Belarusian territory.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko “is likely balancing support for Russia´s invasion with a desire to avoid direct military participation with the risk of Western sanctions, Ukrainian retaliation and possible dissatisfaction in the Belarusian military,” U.K. authorities said.