MINSK, 24 February (BelTA) – The situation at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border is now under control. Belarus has sufficient forces and assets in the southern direction. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement at an operational meeting with the military on 24 February, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “In the current situation we have to take measures without delay to ensure security of our country and our citizens. I'd like to note nothing extraordinary is happening. Absolutely nothing has happened.”
The head of state stressed that it is now necessary to focus efforts on defending the state border in the western direction. In his opinion, the situation in the southern direction is controllable: “Nothing will happen in the south soon. And if it does, we have sufficient forces and assets over there. In the south we should be afraid only of provocateurs and saboteurs, the riffraff, including those bandits and self-exiled opposition members of ours, who are being trained over there in order to fight here in Belarus against our people.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that five battalion-sized tactical groups of special operations forces, who are armed to the max, are deployed at the southern border now. Border guard patrols and border guard response teams are available over there, too. “They were deployed yesterday's evening, this night and are stationed along the entire border perimeter. All the border guard units have been reinforced. We've covered the entire border,” the president said.
