‘Ukrainian troops have withdrawn’ – KGB
The situation on the Belarus-Ukraine border has been defused after Kiev pulled back additional troops from the area, the chairman of the KGB in Minsk, Ivan Tertel, has revealed. President Alexander Lukashenko has confirmed that Belarus has “no complications with the Ukrainians now,” and ordered Belarusian forces to mirror Kiev’s move.
At the start of Russia’s military campaign in February 2022, Moscow used the territory of its key ally to launch an offensive on Kiev. Since then, relations between Ukraine and Belarus have been tense, although the Belarusian military has not directly taken part in the hostilities.
On Saturday, Tertel stated that “around July 3 – July 4 our foreign intelligence detected the pullout of these units from areas adjacent to the Belarusian border,” as quoted by BELTA news agency. The official added that Ukrainian troops had moved back to their permanent bases.
According to the KGB chief, Minsk had repeatedly communicated its concerns to Kiev via various channels. He noted that Belarus took a “peaceful stance” that had the desired effect, adding that Kiev’s troops also exercised restraint.
Tertel claimed that on June 18, Belarusian intelligence spotted an unusual build-up of Ukrainian forces near the frontier, including elite National Guard units armed with US-made M777 howitzers, HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, and Bradley fighting vehicles. The Ukrainian military personnel were allegedly arranging positions, planting mines and conducting aerial reconnaissance along the border.
Also on Saturday, President Lukashenko said that “we need to withdraw our forces from the border as well. So that [the Ukrainians] understand that we are not going to go to war.” The head of state ordered a limited number of Belarusian commando troops to remain in the area, noting, however, that “there shouldn’t be any excessive measures.”
Lukashenko stressed that his country never wanted tensions with Ukraine in the first place, but was forced to react when Belarusians grew concerned. He explained that Minsk deployed additional units of its own to the border, including special operations groups.
The Belarusian head of state concluded that he had lived up to the promises he made to his people to prevent an escalation.
Addressing military commanders, Lukashenko, urged them to remain vigilant, especially with respect to the situation on the western border with the EU.
“They are provoking us to get us embroiled in this showdown, in this war. We can’t let this happen,” the official emphasized, without specifying what countries in particular he was referring to.
