Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on his forces to be “ready both at the border and in the areas” near Belarus amid fears that Russia could launch a new attack from the north.

During a visit to Lviv on Wednesday, Zelenskiy held a meeting with his senior advisers on Ukraine’s border security and the current security situation in the country’s northwestern regions.

In particular, they “discussed the operational situation on the border with the Republic of Belarus,” according to a statement published by the office of the President of Ukraine.

Zelensky was informed about “the condition and strengthening of the border fortifications, as well as the material support of border guards and military personnel in the areas bordering Belarus.”

“We understand that, apart from loud statements, we don’t see anything worth talking about there, but we must be ready both at the borders and in the areas around them,” Zelensky said.

Education, care and determination of Ukrainians

On Wednesday, the roar of guns and the roar of armored vehicles echoed through the sleepy western Ukrainian cities near the border with Belarus as Kyiv forces prepared for the threat of another offensive on a new front from the north.

Currently, the Kyiv forces are preparing for the threat of a new offensive on a new front in the north. Ukraine fears that Russia could concentrate forces on its Belarusian ally’s territory before striking in the northwest, or even try to move towards Kyiv, as it did during the invasion last February.

By reopening the northern front, Russia will disperse the Kievan forces, which have been focused on the fighting raging to the east and south for months, and force it to divert troops north.

Colonel Roman Voloshchuk of the 104th Territorial Defense Brigade tried to demonstrate his capabilities on the sidelines of military exercises at three secret locations in northwestern Ukraine.

“They can try – but we are ready, we are waiting for them. We prepared, dug every turn and every intersection. There will be colossal resistance from every building,” a Ukrainian military man told Reuters.

Soldiers from the Territorial Defense Unit, one of hundreds of militias gathered just before the February 24 Russian invasion, said they were well prepared for any new threat.

“They will get their answer… we are waiting for them,” said 28-year-old artilleryman Artur Gorodnyuk.

To show what kind of attack Ukraine could face from Belarus, Kyiv troops on Wednesday practiced civil war, conducted live-fire exercises and trained with armored vehicles and hostage rescue.

In other exercises in snowy terrain, troops practiced ambushes and destroying reconnaissance teams, typical of the first Russian offensive from Belarus, which Moscow abandoned in early April last year.

Voloshchuk said that for now, a mild winter will help the defense effort, as it has raised river levels above normal, and many of his soldiers have been battle-hardened over the past year.

Forehead pressure

Despite the tremendous pressure exerted on the eastern city of Solentar in recent days, Russian troops have been appearing… as minor players on the battlefield for several months, and Belarus’ surprise attack will mark a dramatic shift in dynamics.

Konrad Mizika, head of defense analytics firm Rochan Consulting, said a slow build-up of Russian forces in Belarus is possible, but much smaller than the forces concentrated in northern Ukraine last February.

However, a Russian attack is likely, and a possible breakthrough into western Ukraine could jeopardize arms supply routes from Europe, he added.

Ukrainian Chief of Staff Serhiy Nayev said Ukraine has enough troops to defend itself against the current threat and will respond to any concentration of forces across the border if necessary.

“Currently, the balance of forces and means between our side and the enemy is not in favor of the enemy,” he said.

Local Ukrainian commanders said there were 15,000 Russian troops in Belarus, too few to launch a major offensive.

Intense military activity has been going on in Belarus for several months, ranging from joint exercises to the creation of joint Belarusian-Russian regional armed forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in December on a rare trip to Minsk, sparking rumors that he foreshadows an attack on Ukraine, possibly directly involving the Belarusian military, although Minsk has said it will not intervene in the war. .

Mizika estimates Belarus’ chances of siding with Russia as 50-50, noting that the intensity of military exercises there has been the highest since the Cold War. He added that Belarus could send 100-200 thousand conscripts to the war, but its aging equipment will not provide additional leverage.

Despite talk of danger in comments last month, Ukrainian General Nayef is now downplaying the threat of another attack from abroad. “We do not see an increase in the presence of Russian troops on the territory of Belarus,” he said, but added that everything is possible in the future.

Source: Reuters, The Guardian.