Ukraine urges Belarus to pull back forces from border

Ukraine has called on Belarus to pull back what it described as significant levels of Belarusian forces and equipment deployed at their common border.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry warned Belarus against making “tragic mistakes” while under pressure from Russia.

A ministry statement urged the Belarus armed forces “to stop unfriendly actions” and withdraw their troops out of range of the border.

The ministry said Belarus special forces and former Wagner mercenary fighters were among the troops there.

Their equipment included tanks, artillery, air defence systems, and engineering gear, located in the Gomel region near Ukraine’s northern border.

The statement said Ukraine “has never taken and is not going to take any unfriendly actions against the Belarusian people”.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on August 18 announced troop reinforcements at the border with Ukraine, citing large troop build-ups on the Ukrainian side as the reason for this.

He said Ukraine had stationed up to 120,000 soldiers there.

Belarus, which is allied with Russia, is not actively involved in the war against Ukraine.

However, Lukashenko authorised the advance of Russian troops from Belarus into Ukraine in February 2022.

After heavy setbacks and losses during the attempted advance into Kyiv, these Russian units had to withdraw.

Ukrainian military and local authorities said today NZT that Russia had launched attacks on northern, eastern and southern Ukraine, killing at least four people and injuring 37.

A view from Kursk, where conflict continues between Russian and Ukrainian forces. In the affected area, while some buildings have sustained damage, daily life continues. Photo / Getty Images

Overnight attacks targeted Ukraine’s frontline regions of Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Donetsk, Ukraine’s Air Force said on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia has been pummelling Ukrainian border regions with strikes, and Ukraine said its surprise incursion this month into Russia’s Kursk region aimed to hinder the Russian ability to stage such attacks.

“Most of the missiles did not reach their targets,” the Air Force said, adding that Russia launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile, an Iskander-K cruise missile and six guided air missiles.

It did not specify how many were destroyed.

A missile attack on the northern region of Sumy killed one person, injuring at least 16 more, including three children, local authorities said on Telegram.

Oleh Sinehubov, Governor of the Kharkiv region in the east, posted that at least 13 people were injured in the Russian attacks, including a 4-year-old child.

Ihor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv city, said a gas pipeline was damaged in the city and at least two houses were destroyed and 10 damaged.

The Air Force said Russia launched nine attack drones, with Ukraine’s air defence systems destroying eight of them over the Mykolaiv region.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia launched with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

- with DPA