Earlier this month, Belarus announced that it had deployed special operations forces along the Ukrainian border, air defense, artillery and missile units at training grounds in the west of the country.

The deployment of the Belarusian army near the border will force Ukrainian troops to remain in the region, and thus they will not be able to take part in support operations in the Donbas.

APA reports that the intelligence service of the British Ministry of Defense said so.

It is said that despite the initial assumptions, the Belarusian Army has not yet been directly involved in the conflict.

"However, Russia used Belarusian territory during the initial attacks on Kyiv and Chernigov, as well as launched air and missile strikes from Belarus to Ukraine," the statement said.

Belarus's President Alexander Lukashenko is likely to strike a balance between Russia's support for the occupation and its reluctance to take part in military operations at the risk of Western sanctions, Ukraine's retaliation and possible protests in the Belarusian army.