A hugely significant development appears to have occurred in the war in Ukraine as Belarusian troops have joined the fight on the Russian side.
Local reports indicate that a column of 33 Belarusian units has entered the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine, north of the capital Kyiv.
Only yesterday did peace talks between Ukraine and Russia take place on the border of Belarus and Ukraine, and the latest development comes only hours after Belarus said it would not be joining the fight.
The Ukrainian Parliament confirmed the development: "Belarusian troops have entered Chernihiv region. The information was confirmed to the public by Vitaliy Kyrylov, spokesman for the North Territorial Defense Forces. More details later."
Belarus has denied the claims, but has said it is sending troops to the Ukrainian border to stop 'provocations'.
When war broke out, it was suspected that Russia's military - three times the size of Ukraine's - would be able to quickly take over the country without resorting to help from its allies.
So why has Belarus invaded Ukraine?
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Why has Belarus invaded Ukraine?
Belarus is very much under the influence of the Kremlin with the two presidents having very close ties, though currently denies claims of an invasion.
Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, a vocal supporter of Putin, has previously earned himself the moniker of Europe's "last dictator" due to his uncompromising crushing of dissent by protestors, jailing innocent civilians and attempting to control the press.
The election result in 2020 is heavily disputed and led to a mass crackdown on country-wide protests, with protesters outraged their basic right to vote had been so badly violated.
While protestors took to the streets, Vladimir Putin gave Lukashenko his full backing both economically and politically, saving his presidency. As a result, Lukashenko is now in the debt of the Russian president.
The Belarusian leader was once hailed as a hero of his country, but is now arguably in charge over little more than a proxy Russian state.
As a result, now that the Russian troops have been met with such fierce resistance by Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, it appears Russia is looking for extra help in its mission to dominate the country.
Why is Belarus allies with Russia?
In the same way Putin views Ukraine, the Russian leader believes Belarus's cultural ties makes the country Russian. Similar to Ukraine, it is a former member of the Soviet Union.
Experts believe that without a pro-Russian government in Minsk, Putin would also turn his troops to Belarus in the same way he has now done in Ukraine.
As his pressure has increased, Belarus has been forced to do the bidding of the Russian president and the country has renounced its non-nuclear status, meaning that Russia can move nuclear weapons there.
