The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine published a statement calling on Belarus to withdraw its troops from the Ukrainian border to a distance that exceeds the range of fire systems available in the Armed Forces of Belarus.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Armed Forces of Belarus, under the guise of exercises, are concentrating personnel, equipment, tanks, artillery, rocket launchers and air defense systems in the Gomel region near the border with Ukraine. Mercenaries of the former "Private Military Company of Wagner" are also recorded there.
"We call on the officials of Belarus not to make tragic mistakes for their own country under pressure from Moscow," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Ukrainian agency also added that Ukraine has never committed and is not going to commit any unfriendly actions against the Belarusian people. However, if the Belarusian military violates the Ukrainian border, Ukraine will do everything for self-defense — all troop concentrations, facilities and supply routes in Belarus will become legitimate targets for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The "Belarusian Gayun" monitoring project reports that the group, concentrated near the border with Ukraine, consists of about 1,100 soldiers. They stand retired up to 50 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
- On August 18, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Oleksandr Lukashenko, said that Belarus allegedly moved a third of its army to the border with Ukraine. Then the State Border Service of Ukraine denied this statement.
- At the beginning of April 2024, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Oleksandr Lukashenko, said that Belarus was preparing for war, but allegedly did not want to fight.