01 December 2022, Thursday, 13:32 230

Offensive On Kyiv. ISW Believes That RF Used Statement Of Belarusian Defense Ministry To Inflame Situation

Редактор: Daria Zubkova

Russia reformulated the statement of the Minister of Defense of Belarus in order to strengthen the information operation regarding the threat of a new invasion.

This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The Minister of Defense of Belarus, Viktor Khrenin, stated that the actions of the bordering NATO member states indicate preparations for hostilities.

"While Khrenin's comments include several options for the development of the situation, the Russian military journalists began to claim that his statement directly speaks of NATO's preparation for offensive operations in the eastern direction, that is, against Belarus, which is a ridiculous accusation," the analysts write.

At the same time, experts note, Khrenin announced NATO's military actions on the borders as part of an information operation aimed at shifting the attention of Ukrainian forces to Belarus.

"Russian military personnel used Khrenin's words as incitement to strengthen the informational conditions for putting pressure on Belarusian officials in order to further support the Russian offensive campaign in Ukraine," analysts believe.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Russian servicemen continue to arrive in Belarus.

On October 10, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Oleksandr Lukashenko, said that he was aware of alleged preparations for an attack on Belarus by Ukraine.

On October 10, the Minister of Defense of Belarus, Viktor Khrenin, said that Belarus is not going to war with Ukrainians and other peoples, unless there are provocations and "wrong actions".

At the same time, on October 20, the deputy chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksii Hromov, said that the Russian occupying forces may launch a second offensive from the territory of Belarus, but their main goal will not be Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Budanov believes that Russia is unlikely to open a second front from Belarus due to its low combat potential, but the theoretical possibility of such an attack still remains.