NIGER DELTA, NIGERIA | JULY 2009
Atteke Tom, the big chief of the MEND, with his boys, in one of the eleven camps he rules in the mangrove of the Niger delta.
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Three Clear Signs That Belarus Is About To Enter The Ukraine War
Troops are amassing at the Belarus-Ukraine border for a second straight day, while pontoon crossings are being constructed. Most importantly, strongman Alexander Lukashenko is increasingly seen as no longer having the option to say No.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at 2022 Allied Resolve Military Exercise
Another clear indication that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko will join Russia’s war against Ukraine came early Tuesday morning: Belarus began rapidly deploying its troops to the Ukrainian border, and the country’s defense ministry announced a "sudden inspection of combat readiness."
Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.
Sign up to our free daily newsletter.Though such sudden exercises have occurred at other times since the beginning of the war, this time it comes amid an accumulation of signs that point to Lukashenko preparing to give final orders.
For the second day in a row, the Belaruski Gayun media recorded increasing numbers of troops amassing Wednesday on the border with Ukraine.
Local witnesses also report Belarusian forces have begun to build pontoon boat crossings across the Berezina river near the border, apparently for the speedy transfer of equipment to Ukraine. In addition, Russian MiG-31K fighters, which can carry hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles, arrived at airbases in Belarus.
Meaning of Makiej’s death
Oleksandr Azarov, the founder of BYPOL, composed of former Belarusian law enforcement officers, believes that Lukashenko has already decided to invade Ukraine.
"I think Makiej did not die by chance,” Azarov said, referring to Vladimir Makiej, Belarus’s Foreign Minister, who died suddenly on Nov. 26 on the eve of his visit to Poland.
“He was going to negotiate guarantees for Lukashenko and his family. Instead, Russian Defense Minister (Sergei) Shoigu comes to Belarus and signs secret military documents. Lukashenko was not allowed to retreat."
The Lukashenko regime has tried in the past to maintain some level of autonomy from Russia. But military and economic reliance on the Kremlin's support multiplied after Belarus’ 2020 elections when the longtime strongman ruler retained the presidency by violently suppressing protests against the rigged voting results.
Lukashenko in a corner
The 68-year-old Lukashenko may prefer to keep the country out of the war, knowing there is minimal support among Belarusians for invading Ukraine. Yet he also knows that not only his political career but his life is ultimately in the hands of Vladimir Putin. And with Ukrainian troops largely outperforming Russians on the front line, Putin appears to need to open up a new front from the north.
Ukrainian military expert Petro Chernyk also believes that the moment for Minsk to enter the war has arrived.
"The sudden check of the combat readiness of the Belarusian army indicates that Russia is raising the stakes. I emphasize that it is Russia, not Belarus. Putin needs Belarus to officially enter the land war with Ukraine now,” says Chernyk, who notes that heavy missile strikes have already been taking place from Belarus. “They are really already at war with us."
It's a question of when, not if.
Tuesday evening the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant-General Serhiy Nayev, discussed the situation on the border with Belarus with his colleague from the Operational Command of the Armed Forces of Poland, Lieutenant General Tomasz Piotrowski.
Ukrainian volunteers have also intensified their assistance to the Ukrainian military on the Belarusian border: in recent weeks, the prominent "Come Back Alive" organization has been focusing on helping the Ukrainian Armed Forces coordinate defense measures vis-à-vis Belarus. The head of the foundation, Taras Chmut, estimates the possibility of an attack from Belarus this winter as high.
BYPOL founder Oleksandr Azarov believes that Belarus troops crossing the border is inevitable, a question of when not if. Another sign he cites is the constant psychological manipulation spread by the Belarus regime among the troops: “to convince the military that they should support their ‘Russian brothers.’”
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