Belarus began military exercises Aug. 7 near its border with Poland and Lithuania, AP reported yesterday, adding that the exercise heightens tensions already taut over the Wagner group’s alleged presence in the Grodno area of Belarus. The Belarusian Defense Ministry said the drills that began Aug. 7 are based on experiences from “the special military operation,” which AP defines as the term Russia uses for its war in Ukraine. It said that includes the “use of drones as well as the close interaction of tank and motorized rifle units with units of other branches of the armed forces.”
In response to the alleged threat, more Polish troops will be moving towards the border with Belarus. “Given the fast-moving situation on the Polish-Belarusian border and at the request of the Commander-in-Chief of the Border Guard to get the military more involved in protecting the border, the Minister of National Defense has ordered that this request be fulfilled and additional troops be dispatched to patrol the border zone,” the Polish Defense Ministry said yesterday, reported TASS. Polish Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Wasik told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) today that the government will deploy 2,000 troops to the border with Belarus, today.
Lithuania seems to be less worried about the Belarusian exercise, however. On Aug. 8, the chief of Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT), Rustamas Liubajevas, said the drills were not large and did not pose a major threat to Lithuania, reported LRT.
