Could Belarus escalate tensions again? What border officials are saying
Photo: Spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Andrii Demchenko (mediacenter.org.ua)
Provocations from Belarus in the direction of Kyiv and Ukraine's western regions are possible, similar to those seen in 2022, according to State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko at the Media Center Ukraine.
According to him, the risk of provocations remains.
"There may be provocations in the direction of Kyiv. There may be provocations in the direction of the western section aimed at cutting logistical routes. This was also observed in 2022," Demchenko said.
Therefore, the SBGS spokesperson noted that Ukraine must prepare for the worst.
"We must be stronger than what may come to us," he added.
Read also: Russia increasingly uses Belarus to launch drone attacks on Ukraine
Threat from Belarus
As a reminder, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently outlined five scenarios of Russia's plans to expand the war in northern Ukraine, including attempts to involve Belarus in the conflict.
At the same time, Belarus has conducted joint nuclear exercises with Russia, while Minsk regularly makes accusations against Ukraine. Recently, the Belarusian regime claimed alleged drone attacks from Ukrainian territory.
According to analysts from the Institute for the Study of War, there are currently no signs of a ground invasion from Belarus.
However, Russia could still use Belarusian territory to launch strikes on Ukraine's western regions.
Earlier, Commander of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces Robert "Madyar" Brovdi sharply addressed Belarusian self-proclaimed leader Alexander Lukashenko over renewed accusations from Minsk about alleged Ukrainian drone flights.
He urged the dictator to "stay out of Ukraine's sight" and warned that Ukrainian forces already have the first 500 targets in Belarus "on their list."
In turn, Lukashenko issued threats against Ukraine, claiming readiness to strike back at a "very serious" target.
Meanwhile, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said that Lukashenko is fully dependent on Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and willing to follow any Kremlin order, even at the cost of Belarus's sovereignty, in order to retain personal power.
