According to Minsk, the Russian Air Force carried out scheduled patrol flights over the borders of its ally Belarus on Thursday, amid fears that it could play a more active role in the war in Ukraine.

Russia has deployed 9,000 troops and hundreds of pieces of military equipment to the neighboring country after President Oleksandr Lukashenko said last week that Belarus was under threat of attack from Ukraine.

“At this moment, the Russian aviation component of the regional grouping of troops is carrying out scheduled patrols of the air borders of the Union State,” the Ministry of Defense of Belarus reported. “Union State” is the name of the borderless and customs-free zone between Russia and Belarus.

Russia used Belarus as a springboard for its February 24 invasion of Ukraine, deploying troops and equipment from there for its failed offensive on Kyiv in the early days of the war.

Belarus shares a 1,085-kilometer border with Ukraine and is less than 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian capital at the closest point.

Although Lukashenko has repeatedly stated that Belarus is under threat of attack from Kyiv, he has not yet sent troops to fight alongside Russia, despite concerns from Ukraine and the West.

Ukraine denies that it poses a threat to Belarus.

Article photo source DreamsTime.com