December 3, BPN. Alaksandr Łukašenka has admitted that Russian troops are being trained in Belarus. A video clip of his meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu in Minsk was posted by his press office on December 3.
“The Belarusian defense minister has already told you about the situation in Belarus. About the training and coordination of the Belarusian and Russian units that are present in Belarus,” he told Shoigu.
“I must say that our approach is serious. Both yours and our officers train the Belarusian guys and the Russians so that, if necessary, our advance guards, our defenders of the Union State could repel any aggression,” he added.
Earlier that day, the Belarusian defense ministry said Shoigu had arrived at the Mačuliščy airfield near the capital. He then met with Defense Minister Viktar Chrenin to sign a protocol amending the 1997 agreement “on joint provision of regional security in the military sphere,” it said.
On October 15, the defense ministry said that first trains carrying Russian troops as part of the joint regional group of forces arrived in Belarus. The regional group was formed to enhance Union State border security, it said. “This decision was dictated by ongoing activity in the border areas,” it added.
On February 24, Russia launched a full-scale war against the Ukrainian people. The authorities in Minsk deny that Belarusian troops participate in hostilities. At the same time, the territory of Belarus was actively used by the Russians to attack Ukraine at the outset of the invasion and in later periods.
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