Russian saboteurs may infiltrate Ukraine from Belarus – military expert

September 26, BPN. Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups may infiltrate Ukraine from Belarus in the Volyn and Polissia areas, Ukrainian pundit Oleg Zhdanov said on his YouTube channel.

Ukrainian special operations forces and territorial defense “conduct counter-sabotage activities in order to prevent this from happening,” he added.

Belarusian opposition politician Pavieł Łatuška warned on September 23 that Russian troops may re-invade Ukraine from Belarus “by a force much larger than on February 24.”

Belarusian Railway and other transport companies have already been prepared to dispatch large numbers of troops, he said.

On February 24, Russia started a full-scale war against Ukraine. Authorities in Minsk deny Belarusian army troops’ involvement in combat operations on the Russian side. However, Belarus allowed Russian troops and weapons to move freely through the country, use its airspace, refuel and store military equipment and attack Ukraine from its territory.

A 20,000-strong grouping of Russian forces crossed into Ukraine from Belarus at the outset of the war, Łukašenka told AFP in an interview on July 21. Russian troops retreated from northern Ukraine later.

On September 21, Moscow announced a plan to call up 300,000 reservists in a bid to reverse setbacks in the war in Ukraine. Łukašenka stressed the previous day that Belarus would stick with Russia and ordered officials to check the readiness of Belarusian troops.