MOSCOW: Belarus, a Moscow ally with a border with Ukraine, started “surprise” military operations on Wednesday to test its army’s response capability, according to the Belarusian defence ministry.

Belarusian military forces were putting their readiness to “go on notice, relocate to preset zones, and conduct combat training,” according to a statement from the ministry.

“The aim is to evaluate the readiness and ability of troops to react rapidly to a possible crisis, ” it continued, characterising the exercises as a “surprise” exercise.

It released images of columns of vehicles, including tanks, going down roadways.

Kyiv, which has frequently accused Belarus of plotting to send soldiers into Ukraine to aid Russia’s military effort against its pro-Western neighbour, will be keeping a careful eye on the drill.

For nearly 30 years, Belarus has been dominated by strongman Alexander Lukashenko, a close supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow uses the nation as an aviation and logistical base.

Nonetheless, not all Belarusians support indirect engagement in the current conflict, and there have been acts of sabotage in recent months, with numerous people detained.

Protests erupted in Belarus in 2020 over Lukashenko’s purportedly fraudulent re-election, prompting the president to unleash a ruthless assault on the opposition.

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