“probability is high”
Ukraine fears an attack from Belarus
03/20/2022, 12:32 p.m
Belarusian ruler Lukashenko emphasizes that no Belarusian soldiers are fighting in Ukraine. But fears of the country entering the war are growing again. The destination could be western Ukraine.
Ukraine fears an attack on the western Volyn region from Belarus. This is announced by the Presidential Office, citing the military. The probability is high. It remains unclear whether the attack could be carried out by Russian troops from Belarusian soil or by the Belarusian military. So far, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been concentrated in the north, south and east of the country.
According to media reports, Belarus is massing troops at the border. A Ukrainian army representative told the “Bild” newspaper: “The danger of a Belarusian offensive in the direction of Volyn is assessed as high. The Ukrainian defense forces are ready to strike back.” According to the report, a Russian propaganda broadcast said Ukraine was doing everything “to draw Belarus into the special operation.” A week ago, Belarus assembled five combat groups on its southern border, citing security against Ukrainian attacks as the reason.
According to information from Minsk, the last diplomats from Belarus left Ukraine this Saturday. The background to this was the “unbearable conditions” for the Belarusians in Ukraine, said Igor Sokol, who had previously been ambassador to Kyiv. He referred to blocked bank accounts.
Railway employees are said to have cut train connections
The authoritarian Republic of Belarus is considered a close ally of Russia. However, Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko had repeatedly stressed that there were no Belarusian soldiers fighting in Ukraine. The politician, who has repeatedly been criticized as “Europe’s last dictator”, has made his country available to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a deployment area. For example, Russian missiles flew from Belarus towards Ukraine. Ukraine has long accused the neighboring country of planning to enter the war alongside Russia.
Belarusian railway workers are said to have cut all rail connections between Belarus and Ukraine. The chairman of the Ukrainian railways, Olexander Kamyshin, thanked his colleagues in Belarus for the unspecified action on Saturday. “As of today I can say that there is no rail traffic between Belarus and Ukraine,” he was quoted as saying by the Unian agency. This would mean that Russian troops in Ukraine would not receive reinforcements or supplies via these routes. An adviser to the Belarusian opposition icon Svetlana Tichanovskaya also reported on the alleged action.