Tensions are rising on the Ukraine-Belarus border, and both sides are trying to fortify the border with barbed wire.
The station’s reporters CNN present at the Ukraine-Belarus border on February 15, said the situation there became very tense as Ukrainian officials warned of an upcoming spring offensive by Russia.
Correspondents say Belarus, an ally of Russia, has fortified its 1,000-kilometer border with Ukraine with barbed wire. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian border is heavily fenced with layers of barbed wire and mounds of earth to prevent anyone from passing.
Belarusian officials told the radio CNN that the border crossing at the town of Dyvin is still open on the country side, but the Ukrainian side has closed completely.
Kiev has completely closed the border crossings with Belarus, except for Ukrainian refugees to enter the country, out of concern that Russia could use Belarus as a springboard for a military campaign.
Anton Bychkovski, a spokesman for the Belarusian State Border Commission, said the situation at the border was “tense” with accusations of provocations by the Ukrainian side.
“Mainly attempts to spy on the territory of Belarus with drones. We detected more than 400 such cases last year. Ukrainian forces have deployed drones along the border with Belarus, sometimes invading our airspace,” Bychkovski described.
He added that the Belarusian border guards have been expanded and the “weapons and equipment have also been updated”.
Citing Belarusian intelligence, Bychkovski said there are about 17,000 Ukrainian troops in areas along the border with Belarus, and “this creates certain challenges for the security of the Belarusian border.”
Divin border gate between Belarus and Ukraine. Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Diana Sychik, a resident of the Belarusian town of Kobryn, bordering Ukraine, shared that she was very worried about the current situation, and said her mother who lives near the border told her she had seen it. Helicopters flew there and tanks were also brought in.
“It’s all understandable because our government is also worried about its people and they have to somehow secure the border,” Sychik said.
Russia has used the territory of Belarus as one of the launchpads for its special military operation in Ukraine in 2022. Joint military exercises over the past year between Belarus and Russia have contributed to arousing anxiety. concerned that the Belarusian army might join Russia in the Ukrainian battlefield.
Last October, Russia and Belarus announced the formation of a joint force to counter aggression from Ukraine and the West.
Earlier this month, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said that the country and Russia had completed a joint air force exercise lasting from January 16 to February 1. The ministry also said that Belarus is preparing for the joint exercise Union Shield 2023 to take place in Russia in September.
However, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly denied speculation that the country’s army will directly participate in the war in Ukraine.