Belarus is set to move troops and military equipment on Wednesday and Thursday as part of a counter-terrorism exercise, amid fears that Russia may be preparing for a new attack on Ukraine from its ally.
“During this period, it is planned to move military equipment and personnel of the national security forces,” the state BelTA news agency cited the country’s Security Council as saying.
“The movement of citizens (transport) along certain public roads and areas would be restricted and the use of imitation weapons for training purposes is planned.”
The Security Council did not state which regions could be affected.
President Alexander Lukashenko has long resisted Russian military deployments in Belarus, but Moscow has been using the country as a staging post since it first invaded Ukraine.
He previously ordered troops to be stationed with thousands of Russian soldiers near the Ukrainian border but has so far kept his army from joining the war.
Ukraine has feared that Belarus and Russia could be planning a joint attack across Ukraine’s northern border.
In recent weeks, there have been increasing signs of Moscow’s involvement in Belarus, with Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu arriving in the capital Minsk on Saturday unannounced.
He and Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin signed amendments to the two countries' security cooperation agreement, without disclosing the new terms.
While some Western diplomats have been doubtful that Belarus would join the war due to its small military, some analysts have said the flurry of activity in recent weeks could be a sign Belarus might send troops.
"Belarus has actually been preparing to join the war on the Russian side for a few months. Every capability that they would need to go to war has been tested," said Konrad Muzyka, a Belarus expert with Poland-based defence think-tank Rochan Consulting.
"We cannot exclude the possibility that a decision has been made that Belarus could join the war. I don't know whether this has happened, but from a military indicators point of view, everything is pointing towards Belarusian armed forces taking a more belligerent stance."
Belarus and Russia are closely allied economically and militarily.
In 2020, Belarus's dependency on Russia deepened after Moscow's support helped President Lukashenko quash a wave of unrest after disputed elections.
