According to the British defence ministry, Belarusian ground soldiers were seen deploying for seasonal training; with Russia anticipated to use them as a distraction for Ukrainian forces.
“Russia will likely overestimate the threat presented by these drills to Ukraine in order to fix Ukrainian forces in the north, preventing them from being committed to the struggle for the Donbas”; the ministry stated in a Thursday intelligence brief.
Deviation from these drills, which could represent a threat, is not expected according to the ministry. As Belarus enters its winter training cycle ends in May; the current deployment is in accordance with seasonal standards, it stated.
