The President of Belarus addressed his security council today with a map of Ukraine that appeared to show planned troop movements and infrastructure targets. The map also has Ukraine divided into four parts. The map also shows Moldova’s breakaway region, Transnistria, being targetted too.
President Lukashenko said: “We were warned, six hours before the launch of Ukrainian missiles at Belarus.
“So Russian Iskander missiles were able to hit them and wipe them out.”
He recently said none of his country’s military units had moved from their bases, but that the country could mobilise in two to three days in the event of danger, the state-run Belta news agency reported.
Russia warned Kyiv residents to flee their homes on Tuesday and rained rockets down on Kharkiv, as Russian commanders who have failed to achieve a quick victory shifted tactics to intensify the bombardment of Ukrainian cities.
READ MORE: Putin nightmare: Ukrainian army captures Russian rocket launcher
It comes as the referendum vote in Belarus to ditch its non-nuclear status was a “greatly worrying” move orchestrated by Lukashenko, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday.
The vote to change the constitution, passed by 65% according to official data, could see nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil for the first time since the country gave them up after the fall of the Soviet Union.
It comes at a time when Lukashenko has fallen in line behind Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military assault on Ukraine after earlier playing an intermediary role between the two neighbours.
“Yesterday’s constitutional referendum in Belarus was orchestrated by Lukashenko to gain additional tools to further consolidate his power,” Borrell tweeted.
“The deletion of Article 18 on Belarus’ non-nuclear status is greatly worrying.”
More to follow…