KYIV, Ukraine: Ukraine accused its Moscow-allied neighbor Belarus Sunday of “concentrating” troops on the countries’ shared border and warned Minsk against “unfriendly actions,” in a statement by Kyiv’s foreign ministry.
The statement came as Kyiv mounts an incursion into Russia’s Kursk region and as Russia continues its advance into eastern Ukraine.
Belarus had allowed Russian troops to use its territory as a launchpad for their February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The statement said Ukrainian intelligence had recorded Belarus “concentrating a significant number of personnel.... in the Gomel region near Ukraine’s northern border under the guise of exercises.”
It added: “We warn Belarusian officials not to make tragic mistakes for their country under Moscow’s pressure, and we urge its armed forces to cease unfriendly actions and withdraw forces away from Ukraine’s state border to a distance greater than the firing range of Belarus’ systems.”
Kyiv accused Belarus of building up equipment and troops on the border, saying it had recorded the presence of Wagner fighters — some of whom are being hosted by Belarus after their leader’s failed rebellion last year.
Ukraine warned that military exercises in the border area pose a “global security” threat due to how close the Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant — site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.
“We emphasize that Ukraine has never taken and is not going to take any unfriendly actions against the Belarusian people,” the foreign ministry added.
Belarus has been ruled by President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994.
In 2022, he had allowed Russian troops to station in Belarus during what Russia and Belarus called “drills” before they launched their invasion in February.
Belarus is politically and economically reliant on Russia.
Kyiv says Belarus ‘concentrating’ troops on border, warns against ‘unfriendly actions’
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Kyiv says Belarus ‘concentrating’ troops on border, warns against ‘unfriendly actions’
- Belarus had allowed Russian troops to use its territory as a launchpad for their February 2022 invasion of Ukraine
Bangladesh rocked by unrest over death of student leader
- Protesters torch media offices, political sites and cultural landmarks
- Government declares state of mourning, urges calm amid rising tensions
Violent protests erupted in several cities across Bangladesh after the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi late on Thursday, with concerns of further unrest ahead of national elections in which he was due to run.
Hadi, 32, a spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha platform who participated in the student-led protests that overthrew the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was shot in the head by masked assailants in Dhaka last Friday while launching his campaign for the elections.
He was initially treated at a local hospital before being flown to Singapore for advanced medical care, where he died after spending six days on life support.
Hadi was an outspoken critic of India, and Inquilab Mancha describes itself on its website as a “revolutionary cultural platform inspired by the spirit of uprising.”
In Dhaka, videos circulating on social media showed mobs vandalising the offices of the country’s largest daily newspaper, Prothom Alo, as well as the Daily Star.
The demonstrations were marked by emotionally charged slogans invoking Hadi’s name, with protesters vowing to continue their movement and demanding swift justice. Several areas remained tense, with additional police and paramilitary forces deployed to prevent further violence.
Police did not immediately comment, while the fire service said the blaze at the Daily Star was under control. Troops were deployed to the scene, and firefighters rescued journalists trapped inside the building.
Bangladesh has been governed by an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus since August 2024, after Hasina fled to India following a student-led uprising. The government has been grappling with fresh protests over delayed reforms, and warnings of unrest by Hasina’s party, which has been barred from the vote, scheduled for February 12.
In a televised address to the nation following Hadi’s death, Yunus said: “His passing represents an irreplaceable loss to the nation’s political and democratic sphere.”
Urging citizens to remain calm, Yunus said the government was committed to ensuring a transparent investigation and bringing all those responsible to justice. He also appealed for restraint, warning that violence would only undermine the country’s path toward a credible election.
The interim administration has declared Saturday a day of state mourning in honor of Hadi, with national flags to be flown at half-mast and special prayers planned across the country. The home of the country’s first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Hasina, was vandalized and set on fire once again, after having been attacked twice previously in February and August last year.
In Dhaka, the premises of the prominent Bengali cultural organization Chhayanaut were vandalized and torched. In the northwestern district of Rajshahi, protesters demolished an Awami League party office using a bulldozer, while demonstrators blocked major highways in several other districts.
Violence was also reported in a number of cities across Bangladesh, including the port city of Chittagong, where protesters attacked the Indian Assistant High Commission and set fire to a house belonging to a former Awami League education minister. The unrest follows fresh anti-India protests earlier in the week, with ties between the neighbors deteriorating since Hasina fled to Delhi. On Wednesday, hundreds of demonstrators under the banner “July Oikya” (July Unity) marched toward the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, chanting anti-India slogans, while also demanding the return of Hasina.
