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The recent visit by Russian leader Vladimir Putin to Belarus has raised speculation on whether Minsk could get involved in an upcoming offensive that Moscow is gearing up for. Ukraine’s defense minister said he hopes the Belarusian troops do not participate.
Ukrainian defense minister Oleksii Reznikov said Tuesday that Russia could prepare an attack force coming from Belarus in order to launch a new offensive on Ukraine since invading back in February. However, Reznikov added that he hopes Belarus does not take part in sending its troops but noted that there has been no indication so far of mobilization taking place there.
Reznikov also said he hopes Minsk will not send its troops to fight on the ground in Ukraine. Russian forces used Belarus as a launch pad for an attack on Kyiv back in February, but Minsk has not signalled that it intends to join the war directly or send its own troops.
“I think it’s not in the interests of the leadership in Belarus to waste its military potential,” Reznikov told Ukrainian television. “So I have hope they will continue holding this balance.”
A Ukrainian general said Russian aircraft were training in Belarusian airspace to spot targets in Ukraine for potential missile strikes. Ukrainian officials have also said Russian forces have been using airfields in Belarus to launch attacks on Ukraine since the February 24 invasion.
This comes amidst speculation that Moscow wants Belarus to play a more direct role in the war following Putin’s recent visit.
On the same day, the British defense ministry said in its intelligence bulletin that Putin visited the Joint Headquarters of the Special Operation Friday last week, referring to what Russia calls the war. The ministry said Putin was being filmed with senior Russian military officers, including Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and defense minister Sergey Shoigu, and that the Russian leader was asking for proposals for the next steps of the war.
Among those who presented a proposal was the Commander of the Russian Group of Forces in Ukraine, General Sergey Surovikin.
“In this choreographed meeting, Putin likely intended to demonstrate collective responsibility for the special military operation. This display likely aimed to deflect Putin’s responsibility for military failure, high fatality rates, and increasing public dissatisfaction from mobilization,” said the ministry, adding that the filmed meeting also sought to refute rumors that Gerasimov was fired.
