Russia is moving thousands of troops into Belarus for an announced war game with host country, but intelligence analysts worry the maneuvers are just a cover to allow Russia to invade Ukraine through its ally, the Associated Press reports.
Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin confirmed that Russia was moving a number of units and at least 12 Su-35 fighter jets and several air defense units to Belarus. Ukraine and Belarus share a 675 mile border, and Russia already has military units and tens of thousands of soldiers along Ukraine’s north and south borders, with massive amounts of troops to the east.
If troops in Belarus are used to invade Ukraine, it puts Russian troops along the majority of Ukraine’s northern border, with Russians occupying Crimea to the south.
“A situation may arise when forces and means of the regional group of forces will be insufficient to ensure reliable security of the union state, and we must be ready to strengthen it,” Fomin said ominously. “We have reached an understanding with Belarus that it’s necessary to engage the entire military potential for joint defense.”