Belarus commenced military exercises on Tuesday in areas adjacent to Ukraine and European Union members Lithuania and Poland, as stated by the Belarusian defence ministry.
The exercises, spanning three days in the Gomel and Grodno regions, are designed to train officers and territorial defence troops in regional strategies and protocols for potential implementation of martial law, according to the ministry’s announcement on the Telegram messaging app.
Belarus, recognised as Russia’s closest ally, has witnessed a deterioration in its relations with western neighbours and Ukraine in recent years.
Tensions escalated notably after Moscow utilised Belarusian territory as a staging area for its offensive against Kyiv, which commenced in February 2022.
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Main Image: By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58390923
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