Russia-Belarus Drills Near Ukraine Border Are Being Extended
- Belarus cites tensions in Donbas region in eastern Ukraine
- Largest joint exercises in years were scheduled to end Sunday
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Russia and Belarus will extend their biggest joint military drills in years, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said, as frictions spike with the West over Russia’s military buildup near the Ukraine border.
The training exercises were scheduled to finish on Sunday and Russia had said it would return its troops to their bases afterward. While those drills are in Belarus, which is north of Ukraine, the defense ministry statement cited the deteriorating situation in eastern Ukraine for the extension. It also referred to increased military activity along the borders of Russia and Belarus, a likely reference to NATO’s recent deployment of more troops eastward.