The Ministry of Defense of Belarus reported on Saturday that the first convoys of Russian servicemen from the joint regional group of troops have arrived in Belarus, reports the Russian news agency TASS.

“The first echelons of Russian servicemen, who are part of the regional group of troops, have arrived in the Republic of Belarus,” the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus said.

On Friday, Belarus said that Russian troops would soon arrive for a joint deployment of military forces to protect the country’s borders, Reuters reported.

Earlier this week, Belarusian President Oleksandr Lukashenko announced that Belarus and Russia would deploy joint military forces in response to what he called escalating border tensions between Ukraine and the West.

The information from the Ministry of Defense comes in the context in which Oleksandr Lukashenko would decide to issue a decree on covert mobilization, writes Nasha Niva, one of the oldest newspapers in Belarus, citing several independent sources.

Lukashenka’s “invisible” mobilization

“Nasha Niva” wrote that the mobilization will be carried out under the pretext of “checking” and that at the first stage it will not affect large cities, reservists will be mobilized from villages, but it is currently unknown whether the number of people who will receive an order for registration.

The publication also notes that Lukashenko decided not to publicly announce the mobilization due to the unpopularity of such an event in Belarus.

The Belarusian army has about 60,000 soldiers. At the beginning of this year, Belarus transferred 6 battalion tactical groups numbering several thousand people to the border areas. On Sunday, the head of the border police of Belarus accused Ukraine of border provocations.

Russian forces used Belarus as a springboard for their February 24 invasion of Ukraine, sending troops and equipment into northern Ukraine from bases in Belarus.

Lukashenka’s threats to Ukraine and the West

Belarusian President Oleksandr Lukashenko on Friday warned Ukraine and the West not to drive away its ally Russia, saying that Moscow has nuclear weapons for a reason.

In an interview with the American TV channel NBC, Lukashenko said: “The most important thing is not to corner your interlocutor and even your opponent. Therefore, you should not cross these lines – those red lines, as the Russians say. You can’t get past them.”

Concerns have grown in the West that Russian President Vladimir Putin may resort to nuclear weapons as a series of defeats by his forces in Ukraine has shifted the dynamics of the war in Kiev’s favor.

“Regarding nuclear weapons, any weapon is a weapon created for something,” Lukashenko said.

“Russia has clearly outlined its position: God forbid an attack on the territory of the Russian Federation; in this case, Russia can use all types of weapons if necessary.”

Lukashenko is not allowed to influence Putin’s military decisions, but his comments underscored the heightened tensions between East and West as the war nears the end of its eighth month.