Ukrainian officials said Saturday that “unusual activity” and “minor provocations” were seen on the Belarusian side of its border, leading to fears of escalation in its four-year long war with Russia.
The Russian ally has increased military activity in recent weeks — building roads toward the neighboring war-torn country and setting up artillery positions, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
“Yesterday, there was rather unusual activity along sections of the Ukraine–Belarus border – on the Belarusian side,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X without offering specifics.
“Ukraine is ready to defend its people and its sovereignty. Everyone who is being drawn into any aggressive actions against Ukraine must understand this.”
Belarus and Aleksandr Lukashenko, its autocratic leader, are one of the Kremlin’s most loyal allies. Its territory was used as a staging ground for the launch of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
But the recent activity along the Ukrainian border marks a concerning escalation for Kyiv.
Zelensky believes the move is a ruse by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to draw Ukrainian troops to the northern border as the number of his own dwindle.
“We believe that Russia may once again attempt to drag Belarus into its war,” Zelensky warned this month.
“We are also observing attempts by the occupying forces to regroup — most likely in order to compensate for a shortage of personnel. In this context, it is becoming increasingly clear why military activity in Belarus has increased.”
Russian military casualties have significantly surpassed Ukraine’s — as the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies puts the ratio at roughly 2-to-1. An estimated 1.3 million Russian troops killed or wounded in the war, according to Ukrainian armed forces.
Meanwhile, strikes by Moscow killed at least three Ukrainian civilians and wounded 42 others across the country overnight into Saturday.
A first drone attack on a public bus in Kherson around 7 a.m. local time killed two people — a municipal worker and a woman — and injured seven.
A second bus attack at 10:40 a.m. local time wounded the bus driver, according to local authorities.
“All victims of the attack are civilians, and the Russians clearly understood this,” Zelensky said.
“In fact, such a cruel safari is happening every day in our frontline and border communities.”
Another civilian was killed in Zaporizhzhia Oblast from a Russian bombing that destroyed several homes, authorities said.
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