Belarus said on Monday (19 August) that it had sent more troops to its border with Ukraine. A day earlier, President Alexander Lukashenko said nearly a third of the Belarusian army was stationed on the border, although he did not give exact figures. Belarusian General Andrei Lukyanovich said this included anti-aircraft troops.
The Belarusian action follows the Ukrainian raid on the Russian Kursk earlier this month. Lukashenko accused Ukraine of aggression and said that Ukraine had sent more than 120,000 troops to the border with Belarus. This prompted him to send more troops to the border.
Ukraine says there has been no increase in the number of troops on the border and calls Lukashenko's words 'rhetoric'. Belarus has played an important role in Ukraine since the war began, including allowing Russian troops to cross into Ukraine.
