Belarusian soldiers have entered the Chernihiv region of Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing invasion of the country.
The news was confirmed by the official Twitter account of the Parliament of Ukraine today, March 1, as the conflict in Ukraine entered its sixth day.
In a statement shared on Twitter, the Ukrainian parliament said that Belarusian troops entered Ukraine in the north of the country, and that the information was confirmed by Vitaliy Kyrylov, spokesperson for the North Territorial Defence Forces.
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Just hours earlier, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was quoted as saying Belarus had no plans to join Russia's military operation in Ukraine, Reuters reports, citing Belarusian state news agency Belta.
He also denied Kyiv's allegations that Russian troops were attacking Ukraine from Belarusian territory, though the country was used as a staging post by Russian forces who gathered there prior to the invasion, which began on February 24.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Belarus to stay out of the war on Sunday, claiming that Belarus was 'not on the same side' as Ukraine and that Russian troops had been launching rockets from 'your territory'.
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Addressing the country, as quoted by The Guardian, he continued, 'Our children are being killed from your territory, our houses are being destroyed, they are trying to blow up everything that has been built over decades – and, by the way, not only by us, but also by our fathers, our grandfathers.'
'And all this is also a de facto referendum for you, Belarusians. You decide who you are. You decide who to be. How will you look into the eyes of your children, how will you look into the eyes of each other, your neighbours. We are your neighbours. We are Ukrainians. Be Belarus, not Russia. You are making this choice right today.'
Prior to the news of Belarusian soldiers arriving in Ukraine, images on social media appeared to show military buildup on the Belarusian side of the border.
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Gustav Gressel from the European Council on Foreign Relations claimed 'this was to be expected' as 'part of Putin’s plan B. More brute force'.
On Monday, Belarus announced it was revoking its non-nuclear status, which allowed Russian weapons to be placed in Belarus. The move is said to have taken place after a referendum, but was met with backlash as it sparked rare protests in the country.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Emily Brown