Escalating tensions: Belarus deploys paratroopers to Poland’s eastern border

Belarus is deploying paratroopers and Special Operations Forces to Grodno, close to the border with Poland and Lithuania. Charging that Europian countries were responsible for escalations of the dangerous situation in the border regions, President Alexander Lukashenko ordered to send paratroopers from Vitebsk to Grodno, the state news agency Belta reported. “What’s happening in these territories [in the west], we cant calmly watch this. Our military is also worried about this problem. Therefore, I will ask additionally, since the tense situation on the western border, to transfer the airborne brigade from Vitebsk to Grodno,” Lukashenko told Belarus’ television on 15 August. Grodno is a city in western Belarus. It is on the Neman, close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania. In social media also were posted videos and images of a big military convoy composed of wheeled armored personnel carriers and military trucks driving from Vitebsk. 白俄从Vitebsk调动BTR-70MB1裝甲车向波兰边境移动。 pic.twitter.com/4ZEq1ZVnDP— JMa (@JMa09415059) August 16, 2020 Belarus VDV BTR column moving from Vitebsk to the border with Poland. pic.twitter.com/4INyhUavso— Status-6 (@Archer83Able) August 15, 2020 In addition, Lukashenko said that the mass protests that occurring in Belarus were controlling from Poland, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic. “We traced calls from abroad, and as a former intelligence officer you know that. Calls came from Poland, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic to control, I beg your pardon, sheep: they don’t understand what they are doing and are easy to be controlled,” BelTA agency quoted him as saying at a meeting with chairman of the CIS Executive Secretariat Sergei Lebedev, who headed a CIS observer mission at Sunday’s presidential elections. According to Lukashenko, Russian, Polish and Ukrainian citizens attempted to take part in mass protests that took place in Belarus. “I’m not going to mention Poland: they’ve already settled down there, trying to pull the strings as well. I’m not going to talk about Ukraine: people came from there. I’m sure this is not state policy, however, there are many “Maidan-crazy” people over there whom I’ve already mentioned. Unfortunately, some people came from Russia as well,” Lukashenko said, quoted by BelTA news agency. Moreover, Alexander Lukashenko has said his Russian counterpart has offered full assistance to ensure the security of Belarus. Russia has reportedly offered to assist Belarus’ government in ensuring security, after seven days of anti-government protests sparked by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s controversial election win.

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Escalating tensions: Belarus deploys paratroopers to Poland’s eastern border

Posted on August 16, 2020

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